A True Gryffindor
by ilovekc
Summary: After HBP. The Golden Trio uses a dark spell in order to travel back into their first year, but nothing ever goes as planned for Harry. Join them as they run from the Dark Lord as well as the Aurors.
1. Chapter 1

**A True Gryffindor**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters.

Author's Note: I have previously posted the first few chapters on a different site under the same author name.

Chapter One:

"Think about it Hermione…" Harry Potter dropped the Dark Arts book to the bed and looked at his two best friends. "If it works, than we can safe Professor Dumbledore, not to mention others'." His messy hair fell in his eyes and he warily pushed it back.

"No Harry…it's forbidden" Gripping the book, the bushy haired brunette walked across the room. "Time is not something you mess with, Professor Dumbledore would not have wanted that."

Rising abruptly, Ron Weasley pulled the book from Hermione's hands. "I thought you said Dumbledore gave you the time turner in third year? He obviously messed with time." The red head stated matter-of-factly.

"That was different…you guys are talking about going back to first year. You could change things for the worse! Besides, Harry, the sorting hat could still stick you in Gryffindor!" She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the two teenagers before her.

"No...I will beg for Slytherin. Hermione all I need to do is befriend…Malfoy…" He spat the name out in anger. It wasn't that he hated the pureblood completely, but he still held him responsible for the Headmaster's death. He felt his plan was fairly simple; all he would have to do is convince the blonde to be his friend and lead him down another path while gathering information on the elder Malfoy.

"Harry, you are talking years of your life…you could risk everything!" She threw her arms up in frustration.

"Hermione…it will work." He stood and gripped his best friend's hands. "I already know who to be careful of and I understand the classes. I could sail through easily and be able to focus on Malfoy and the others!"

"What about us Harry?" Tears fell down her face. She didn't understand how he couldn't see what he was risking. "If you're a Slytherin than we won't be friends..." She pushed off of him angrily. "None of us! Not in this time or in that one! Don't you get it Harry…you can't come back…" Her voice fell to a whisper.

Ron looked at Harry and Hermione and realization hit him. "She's right mate. I would never have any thing to do with a Slytherin."

"Ron…Hermione…we'll be friends. I'll make sure of it." The black haired boy stated.

Hermione looked at him. "You know the spell Harry; you can only take back so many memories. You need the important ones to prevent the deaths and understand the charms and spells you already know. There may not be enough room for us, not really…you won't remember to befriend us." Her eyes began to well up again.

"Look from the first time I met you two at the Hogwarts Express I wanted to be friends with you. I'll know to be your friends…I will. Besides I was hoping you guys would come with me…"

The brunette looked at him in shock. Could they risk everything and return to the past. If caught they would go to Azkaban for sure, time manipulation was not taken lightly. Together though they would have more knowledge and opportunity to safe the light side from the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

"Harry…" Hermione face fell. "I can't…we can't do it. Don't you understand why it is forbidden, we could destroy lives!"

"More than what has already been destroyed!" Harry yelled at the girl before him, his anger rising. "We can safe him Hermione…we can safe all of them!"

"It's to suspicious Harry! If you go back they are expecting someone who knows nothing about the wizarding world, not you now Harry, not someone who can do a full blown Patronus! They would never believe it and send you straight to Azkaban!" The bushy haired brunette screamed right back at her taller friend. "And Ron…your brothers will know something's up when you go around acting as smart as Percy…you can't get away with it!"

The two boys grew quite at this, both lost in thought. The glanced at each other and another idea struck them. Nodding they turned back to their best friend.

"You could though…" Ron pointed at the know-it-all brunette.

"No one knows you Hermione. You could easily pass for being that smart, no one would suspect you." Harry grinned widely.

"You're forgetting Harry…A. I can't make you befriend Malfoy and he hates "mudbloods", so I can't befriend him. B. both of you disliked me in first year and I can't make you be my friend…" She pointed at her two friends. "Most importantly, I will not do it…I won't risk it! There are too many variables; too many things could go wrong! I don't want to go to Azkaban!" Her voice grew and for a moment she thought she could break through the silencing charm on the door. "It's too complicated, too risky, and too dangerous! We can't even think it through enough to make it seem plausible! That is why it is forbidden!"

"Shut it!" Harry gripped the girl and pushed her on the bed. "I'm sorry…but you need to listen! It can safe them…it can safe me! The prophecy Hermione, I could find the remaining horcruxes and destroy him when he is weak, before he returns in fourth year…with Dumbledore's help we can end it!"

Harry didn't want to listen to Hermione's reasoning anymore. His head ached and his voice was strained from the yelling. He had already made up his mind, he wasn't stupid he knew the risks, he already intended to go back, but he really wanted Ron and Hermione to join him. Ron had already agreed and he felt it was becoming more and more hopeless convincing his other best friend.

Lowering his voice tears sprang to his eyes. "Hermione…Ron and I are going back…with or without you. You said you would follow me at Dumbledore's funeral. I have no right to ask this of you and somewhere inside me it feels right to anyhow. This is not your burden…not Ron's…not Ginny's. It's mine." Harry swallowed deeply and chokingly continued. "I'm almost seventeen and I know…I feel it in my bones…that this is the year that the final battle between Voldemort …" He shook his heads at his best friend's winces, annoyed that they still had trouble with the name. "Voldemort and I... I need more time…more training…I need Dumbledore and S…Sirius. We are going tonight."

"But Harry…"

"No buts. They won't throw me in Azkaban, they need me too much."

"They know that now Harry, but not when you were in first year…" Hermione tried once again to convince her friends to listen to reason. She new it was pointless to argue, she already saw that her best friends minds were made up, and she knew she would inevitably follow them back through time. Against her better judgment she was determined to protect them, even from themselves.

"They don't throw kids in Azkaban." Ron finally spoke up.

"They won't consider us kids. Don't you get it, even if we look eleven we will be seventeen…adults!" Hermione threw her arms up again. How could her friends seem so daft they should understand this, they studied time effects in fifth year.

Ron looked at Harry and gulped. "She's right mate…they could treat us as adults." He stood next to Hermione and looked at the young man before him. He would do anything for Harry and he would do this despite the risks. Harry needed to have a chance and this plan really was bloody brilliant, although he was feeling less than one hundred percent because of Hermione. "I'll go with you Harry…even now. You need to decide what you want for sure and I'd follow you…I promised you mate." He turned to the girl he had secretly loved for years. "Hermione we need you, but you don't need to waste your life. I won't be mad at you…stay if you must." His blue eyes searched her brown one's pleading for her understanding.

"What life? If you go back you'll just muck it up and I won't have a life…" She sighed in frustration and looked at Harry's determined face. "I'll go. Someone has to keep you from destroying everything." She watched her two best friend's faces break into wide grins. "Might as well do this right…where is the pensieve?"

Ron looked at confused for a moment. "What for?"

"The memories Ron." Harry was still grinning. "We can only have enough memories for our eleven year old selves, we'll have to remove five years worth of memories, I'd suggest removing all unnecessary one's from your childhood." Harry smirked. "Possibly the one where your teddy bear is turned into a spider by Fred and George might help you fear."

Ron just grinned back; maybe having certain experiences removed for eternity wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"Not too much though…you still have to pass for an eleven year old. It's risky so I'll go first." Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

The three worked diligently throughout the night removing as many memories as they could part with. Harry of course had no problem with removing every memory he had with the Dursley's, however Hermione made him keep quite a few, stating that despite how evil they where, they helped make him who he was today. It was something he shouldn't forget, if only to remind him how not to treat people. Ron had argued that she was being ridiculous, but Harry had to keep a bit anyhow because it was all he knew for eleven years. He did however manage to get rid of most of his encounters with Dudley, feeling that even cleaning charms was more important than an encounter with his whale of a cousin. They also managed to recall memories of the day leading up to their meeting on the Hogwart's Express. They intended on returning to that exact point together and work on their plan from there. Harry would befriend Malfoy quickly and avoid Ron and Hermione only meeting up with them in the room or requirements every night after hours.

"You're going to have to get use to calling him Draco." The book worm laughed at Harry's face screwed up in disgust.

"I know." He glanced around Ron's room. "We should go ahead and sleep now and leave first thing tomorrow, just so we have plenty of rest." He watched his friends nod and Hermione turned to leave the room.

"Harry?" She turned back tears springing to her eyes. "You're going to have to call me mudblood you know. You have to act like that." She watched her friend start to protest. "Don't argue with me. I just wanted you to know that I forgive you for it. I mean I will every time." She nodded at her best friend and turned on her heels to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The scenery whipped around him spinning shakily causing his stomach to turn and twist. Thankfully he felt himself free falling and landed with a hard thump on a soft cushion. Opening his eyes he looked around the compartment and saw his two best friends staring at him in awe. "What?"

"Are you…you know…Harry?" Ron croaked out. Hermione and he had awoken easily twenty minutes before, and she had immediately come to check and make sure everything worked under the pretense of looking for Neville's toad.

"Of course I'm Harry." He looked as his two friends and their young faces. "It worked. Do you remember everything still?"

"Yeah, No going back now mate." Ron looked over at the teary eyed Hermione. "She's been like this since we woke up."

Harry hugged the bushy haired girl. "Hermione…it will all work out. Thank you for this, but you need to dry up so we can act like we would have than. I think you need to return to your original cart and we'll meet up tonight at the room of requirements." He watched his friend nod and turn to the door.

"You don't have your invisibility cloak Harry…or the map…it's going to be harder to sneak out." She turned back wide eyed. How could she have forgotten that?

Harry grinned as he jingled the money in his pocket. "I intend on sending off for three cloaks when I get to the school. Each of us will have one, so for now we will wait to meet until I can get them to you. Don't worry Hermione, it'll all work out, you'll see."

Ron watched her leave and turned to Harry. "They're really expensive mate…that would probably take half your inheritance, not to mention nearly impossible to find. No one knows how to make them anymore and most are passed down through generations." He stuffed a chocolate frog in his mouth, his appetite still as normal as ever.

"I know Ron…but it's necessary…look we need to change into our robes. Malfoy will be here any moment." Harry gritted his teeth.

"If you're in Slytherin…what about Snape?" Ron questioned.

"I'll restrain myself from killing him." Harry gritted his teeth.

"No…I mean what if he uses Occlumency on you? How are you going to keep him out of your head?"

Harry smirked at his friend. "I doubt he will concern himself with me right now and I will continue to practice every night. By the time he becomes suspicious I should be able to keep him out, you and Hermione need to learn Occlumency as well."

Ron shook his head and began to change into his robes. Glancing down as his eleven year old body he paled. "Bloody hell Harry…it's gonna take awhile to get use to this!"

The two boys laughed as they finished getting ready. They were sitting across from each other when a rat with a missing toe sprinted out from under the seat.

"Peter Pettigrew!" Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the big fat rat. "Stupefy!" The rat rolled over unconscious. "I should kill him now and get it over with!" He ground his teeth together.

Ron eyes shifted back and forth, he could really use Hermione's opinion right now. He didn't want to mess up time to much. "I don't know Harry…we should see what Hermione says…besides we need him to confess in order to clear Sirius." Even Ron was shocked at his logic.

Pointing his wand at Scabbers, Harry said another spell. "Obliviate!" He slumped in his chair. "Well at least he won't remember our conversations when he comes to, but we have to be careful around him. Keep him in your cage permanently and put a locking charm on it. We can't risk him escaping."

Really Harry would have loved nothing more than killing the rat, but he knew he needed to clear his Godfather's name. Hopefully sooner than later; he wasn't sure if he could trust himself to hold in all his anger between Malfoy, Snape, and Pettigrew.

The compartment slid open at this point and Malfoy entered surrounded by his two cronies. Harry and Ron swallowed hard determined to make a good impression.

"Is it true?" Draco asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

Harry smiled at him sweetly and stood up extending his hand. "Yes."

Draco took the hand easily and smirked at him. "Draco Malfoy." He gestured toward the two big boys flanking him. "This is Crabbe and this is Goyle." Obviously pleased with himself Draco fell into a seat across from Harry and Ron. "No need to introduce you," he nodded toward the red head. "You're obviously a Weasley." He sneered. "I'd be careful Potter; you don't want to make friends with the wrong sort on your first day."

Ron glared at the three boys, but decided on a different tactic. "Those are my father's believes, not mine. I intend to overcome his short comings!" His stomach twisted at his words, but he intended on following through with the plan. "I'd appreciate it if you did not judge me for my father and his silly infatuation with damn muggles!" Sneering as best he could, his heart dropped into his stomach and he wanted to throw up.

Malfoy grinned at this and brought his hand out to Ron. "Well Weasley maybe being a pureblood finally sang into one of your family's rift rafts. I could understand your distaste for your father, good to see you are your own man." He shook Ron's hand and leaned back into his seat. He couldn't wait to write his father and tell him all about Potter and Weasley, sure that they would be important to the elder Malfoy.

Harry waited eagerly for his turn at the sorting hat. Thus far everything had been working out perfectly and no one was the wiser. He was actually shocked at Ron's and his performance earlier, never expecting that they both could hold their tempers so well.

Finally he heard his name called and timidly made his way to the seat. He feared that the hat would see right through his manipulation and rat him out.

The hat fell over his head and he immediately put all his thoughts on becoming a Slytherin.

"Ahhh…" The hat's voice whispered in his ear. "I see you want Slytherin…and in another time maybe, but you are a true Gryffindor. I see you clearly Potter…"

Harry began to focus hard on Slytherin, begging the hat to let him through. His whole plan teetered on this moment.

"I am not one to interfere…much…but very well Potter, if you insist. SLYTHERIN!" The hat bellowed and Malfoy's table was the only one to erupt in applause. The rest of the houses did not make a sound, shocked that their hero was placed in that particular house. Even the Professors were stunned exchanging startled glances. Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his chair with a grim expression, but his eyes sparkled as always.

Harry made his way across the room and fell into a chair beside Malfoy, who patted him on the back grinning. "Great to have you mate! You are obviously with the right kind of wizards." The blonde smirked proudly.

Harry turned his attention back to the sorting and watched as Ron was placed in Gryffindor. The exchanged weary smiles and Ron walked to the table with his brothers, taking his place by Hermione, who gripped his hand under the table reassuringly.

"He did it." She whispered.

"So he did." Ron was tired and hungry. He tried to focus on the conversations and the food after Dumbledore announced the start of the feast. "This is gonna be a long six years."

Harry Potter was currently draped across his bed with parchment and a quill in hand in his new common room. He was vaguely aware of the various snores coming from his new roommates, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. He was not focused on the cold emerald green and silver decorations in the dungeon that was a stark contrast to the warm deep scarlet red and gold of his only true home. His mind was occupied with finding an ally outside the grounds of Hogwarts.

The raven haired young man was aware that one could not just send off for an invisibility cloak, he was also aware that the other tasks he needed to accomplish was nearly impossible for a first year, who had limited opportunity and even less responsibility or trust. It would be even more difficult to convince his collaborator that not only is Voldemort not dead, but that he is somewhat his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell. Especially since he is considered to be an eleven year old raised by muggles, they would think him daft or worse an attention seeker.

The Weasley's were off limits, they did not have the resources he needed and since he was a Slytherin now he doubted they would view him as anyone worth trusting. Plus, he realized that he had only truly met Mrs. Weasley at the train station and she didn't know him as she did in his time. His hopes dwindling he let his body slump lower into the seat. This really was more difficult than he imagined.

He couldn't help feeling that he in fact needed the understanding of his Godfather Sirius, who was currently falsely imprisoned in Azkaban. The boy-who-lived knew that Sirius would understand him and believe him, making this whole mess easier. Still one of his tasks was to prove the innocence of his only family.

Suddenly the perfect person came into his head, Remus Lupin! Of course his third year professor and Sirius' best mate slash werewolf, why had he not thought of that before? He began to hastily scratch his letter out on his parchment.

_Remus Lupin,_

_You have not met me yet, but I am James and Lily's son Harry. I have important information concerning Sirius Black and his innocence in the murder of Peter Pettigrew, who is very much alive, as well as his participation in my parent's murder. I should like to be able to talk to you in person, and I entrust that you could arrange a meeting through Professor Dumbledore considering you both are tied to the Order of Phoenix. _

_I have more information for you that I could not write in this letter, but I am more than willing to share everything with you. Under no circumstances are you to divulge any of this information to anyone else, including Professor Dumbledore, but instead focus on wanting to meet me. I would appreciate your cooperation._

_Harry James Potter_

He rolled it tightly and placed it under his pillow. He would sleep better tonight and first thing tomorrow he would send Hedwig with the post. His mind wandered to the various daydreams he had of him and his godfather and he slipped into a nice peaceful sleep.

After returning from the owlery, Harry made his way to breakfast. Lost in his excitement he took his customary seat by Hermione and Ron.

"I have good news." He said with extreme satisfaction. "I sent an owl to Professor Lupin!"

"Harry! You're at the wrong table!" The bushy haired brunette hissed. She watched the shock expression form on Harry's face.

Standing quickly he looked apologetically at his best friend. "Don't touch me you filthy…mudblood!" He forced it out and turned and walked toward Malfoy, who was giggling with glee at the altercation.

"Way to put her in her place Harry!" Malfoy slapped him congratulatory on his back. "I almost couldn't have done it better myself." He sneered as his cronies snickered around him.

Grudgingly Harry forced down his breakfast, feeling less happy than before. He started to wonder about the best way to cause doubt in Malfoy and lead him toward the light side. He decided the best course was to go through his father Lucius, he intended to show the younger Malfoy just how unloved he really was. He deliberately wanted to feed hatred into Draco and force him to turn against his family. On the one hand he knew that Dumbledore would dislike any method that used anger and hatred, but he felt that it was all Malfoy could understand. He just needed to wait for an opportune time.

He looked at the full plates of Crabbe and Goyle and he smiled. "Draco lets head to class and let these two knuckleheads finish their meal." Harry smirked at the two behemoths, which looked up startled at first but knew there place and continued to gorge.

Draco laughed at the insult and stood to leave the hall. "You are quick mate, although it doesn't take much time for someone to realize how daft those two are." The two walked together through the hall. "My father told me about you. You were raised by muggles."

"I wouldn't call it being raised." Harry grinned, "it was more like I allowed them to basically worship me and in return I didn't kill them." Smirking at his lie, he couldn't help but think about how easy it was. Maybe he truly was becoming a Slytherin.

"Oh really?" Draco stopped and pressed him against the wall. "How would a wizard such as you be able to perform such a curse?" The blonde Slytherin intended to put Potter in his place as well, that is…below him. He would be his mate, but he would be the leader, for he refused to follow the likes of a half-blood, even if it was the boy-who-lived.

Harry quickly caught on to the game and pulled his wand out pointing it at the pure-blood. "I could show you!" He hissed. Glancing down the hall and seeing that he was alone he pointed toward the ground and yelled "Serpens sortia"! A snake quickly appeared on the floor and started to lunge at Draco. He watched the startled boy pale as he pressed himself against the wall. Harry than began to speak in Parseltongue calling the snake off and than yelled out, "Finite Incantatem" to end the spell. 

"Do not tempt me Draco, I am no ordinary wizard." He sneered at the still shaking boy. "I am feeling generous today, so I will forget you ever doubting me." He smiled and held his hand out to Malfoy, who had scooted to the floor. He rather enjoyed that display, and looked forward to many more like it.

"Y-You're a parcel tongue?" Draco stammered.

Of course…you're not?' He already knew the answer, but needed to rub it in.

"No…" The blonde Slytherin smiled. "That was brilliant, you know?"

With an air of arrogance he had learned from watching Malfoy, Harry waved his arm and tufted. "That was nothing; a child could do that…obviously. I can do much more, more than you can imagine."

"How? It is forbidden to use your wand outside of school." Draco questioned.

"Your father didn't fix your wand?" Harry looked at the shocked face. "Of course he didn't, he would never want you to be better than him; he will probably treat you as second class for the rest of your life. Sad really, to squash you ambition and talent so that he could always be better…what an ego." Smiling Harry turned and walked to class, leaving the younger Malfoy to think on his statement.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own or make money off of Harry Potter.

Friday came and Harry had still not heard from Professor Lupin. He began to question his judgment in his choice on who to trust. He had also been unable to contact Ron or Hermione, but knew he had double potions today with Gryffindor.

Sitting in the front of the class with Malfoy he sought out his best friends. Turning he smiled slightly at them and wrote them a note. _Everything is going great so far. Malfoy practically follows me like a lap dog. I haven't heard from Lupin yet, so I am slightly worried. Are you guys faring better on the research of the horcrux? _He tapped his parchment and watched it disappear. He had been so preoccupied that he had not noticed Snape enter and begin class.

"Potter, I expect more from a Slytherin." Snape's greasy hair fell into his eyes slightly. "Are you paying attention?" He sneered. Snape was shocked that James Potter's boy would be put in his house, he hated the boy even if he was a Slytherin, and would take every opportunity to squash him. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" He smirked.

Without hesitation the true Gryffindor smiled and replied, "A sleeping potion called the Draught of Living Death." He sneered right back while he secretly thought, _you filthy traitorous git, I look forward to the day I see you at the end of my wand._

Startled, although he did not show it, Snape turned and waved his hand. "Twenty points to Slytherin." He than turned his attention back to the instruction for today's potion.

Harry easily sailed through the lesson with Malfoy, and noted how Hermione and Ron also had no problems. Snape continued to give the rest of the class a hard time, and Harry was not shocked when Neville once again knocked his potion over. In more ways than one Harry was enjoying his trip through time and was happier than ever that he had taken it, although he admitted he missed spending time with Ron and Hermione…and of course he missed Ginny. Still he concluded that once he talked to Lupin and received the invisibility cloaks, he would be able to talk more to his best friends.

After classes, the raven-haired boy led his new cronies to dinner. He had quickly become their leader, and he was rarely questioned. He had made Malfoy his confidant and tried to make him feel as wanted and needed as possible. While eating he noticed a white owl flying toward him with an obvious letter. He grinned knowing it was from Professor Lupin. Hedwig landed on the table and took his treat as Harry removed the parchment. He petted her gently and she took off.

Stuffing the rolled parchment in his robe he turned to Malfoy. "I have to go to the lavatory." He stood quickly and made eye contact with Ron and Hermione knowingly. He made his way to the room of requirement and waited to read the letter when his best friends joined him.

"Harry!" Hermione ran to him and hugged him tightly, as did Ron. "You really showed Snape!"

"Yeah mate, that was bloody brilliant!" Ron smiled as he released his friend.

"I missed you guys." Harry beamed, and his friends nodded knowingly. "Well we don't have long so let's read the letter." He pulled out the parchment and carefully unrolled it.

_Harry,_

_I have made arrangements with Dumbledore and I shall talk to you in his office tonight. I am unaware how you got the information you have or what you may think you know, but I have spoken to him. He agrees that a talk is in order and we shall speak at 8 o'clock._

_Remus Lupin_

The color drained from Harry's face. "He told Dumbledore!" He seethed and began to pace the room.

"Calm down Harry. We intended on telling him anyhow." Hermione reasoned.

"Yeah mate, what's the big deal?" Ron questioned.

"Not yet!" The raven haired boy's anger started to rise. "I wasn't prepared to tell him yet, he will send us back! I needed more time until I spoke to him!"

"He won't send us back." The bushy haired girl stated matter-of-factly. "He can't, because we have changed our futures. You are in Slytherin now, so therefore you have changed our future self. He wouldn't dare send you back into an unknown future."

"So does that mean that the future hasn't happened?" The red head asked.

"No, just not the future we know…"

"It doesn't matter Hermione. How do I explain to him that I came back because he…he…" Harry couldn't say it. He had seen his professor alive and well at the feast and refused to acknowledge his death. "I don't know what I am going to say to him."

"We'll go with you. We all did it; we will meet Professor Lupin with you." Ron said. "We can tell him together."

"He's right Harry. We deserve to be there…together." Hermione smiled.

Harry slouched in a cushion and smiled up at his two best friends. "Together."

The group made plans to meet at the gargoyle statue at 8 o'clock and than parted. Harry reminded Ron to bring his rat with him, as it was the best evidence they had.

Eight o'clock did not come quickly enough. As nervous as Harry was he was relieved to have some adults to share his burden with. After making an excuse to Malfoy he made his way to Professor Dumbledore's office. He noted that Ron and Hermione were waiting for him and he smiled lightly at them.

"Ready?" Harry waited for there meek nods and turned to the gargoyle, who promptly moved out of the way. He was shocked at first, but ignored it and the trio headed up the steps. Knocking lightly, Harry was permitted inside.

Professor Dumbledore smiled at his three brave students. "Ahhh…I see you are together again."

"Wait…what?" Harry stammered.

Smiling mischievously, Dumbledore offered them a lemon drop. "It is nothing to be concerned about, but I knew you were together on the train."

"Oh." Harry's head fell, his hopes of not having to explain dashed. "…urm…where is Professor…I mean Remus Lupin?"

Dumbledore looked at him questioningly. "He will be arriving by floo at any moment. May I ask why you brought Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley with you?"

The two had not uttered a word and remained sitting in there seats. It was not like they were scared, but mesmerized by the office in general. They had rare opportunities to be in the Headmaster's office and were taking in the portraits and other whizzing and buzzing things.

At Dumbledore's question Hermione elbowed Ron to get his attention. Glancing at Harry, who was currently searching for a proper answer, Hermione spoke up. "Professor Dumbledore…" She waited for his twinkling eyes to look at her. "We…we can help Harry explain is all." She kept her tears in, she felt like she wanted to cry, seeing her once dead Professor's eyes twinkling again. _Was it really going to be this easy?_ She thought. _Could we just tell him everything and expect it all to work out?_

At the moment a loud bang resounded through the room and a thin and very dirty Remus Lupin stepped out of the fire place.

"Remus…welcome to Hogwarts." Albus Dumbledore stood and greeted his old student. "I hope you had no trouble?" He smiled as he gestured toward a comfy chair he conjured.

"No, none at all Professor…thank you." Remus Lupin took in the three children before him. _So young..._ "Ahhh…you must be Harry!" He smiled widely as he recognized a young lad looking just like his old best mate, James. "You have your mother's eyes."

Harry couldn't help but grin at seeing his Professor again, of course him and Ron and Hermione are the only ones that know that. "I know." Noticing that Lupin was curiously looking at his two best friends, Harry gestured to them. "This is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley my best friends."

Dumbledore smile knowingly as he took his seat. "It is nice to see two Gryffindors and a Slytherin getting along."

Startled that a Slytherin was in the room Remus looked at the school robes. "Harry…you're a Slytherin?" He couldn't keep the shock and shame out of his voice. "I'm shocked…your parents were Gryffindors."

Dropping his head in shame, Harry mumbled. "I can explain."

"He did it for Dumbledore!" Hermione stood up defending her best friend. Realizing what she just said, her face paled and she promptly dropped back into her seat. _Why do I feel like an eleven year old…I can talk to these people…?_

"Harry…Scabbers…" Ron held up the locked cage and gestured toward his raven haired best friend.

"Right." Turning toward his two Professors, Harry started his story. "Professor…I mean Mr. Lupin, I suppose you want to know how I know Sirius Black is innocent." He waited for his old confidant to nod. "Right…well you see…Peter Pettigrew is very much alive…and Sirius…I mean Mr. Black, had given the secret keeper job to Pettigrew…who betrayed my parents and me…than made it look like he died when Sirius…I mean Mr. Black went after him." He felt he had summed it up quite nicely, but noticed that Professor Dumbledore and Lupin looked at him questioningly.

"Why would you think such a thing?" Remus Lupin was unsure of the truth in such a far fetched story, especially since it was coming from a mouth of a Slytherin.

Hermione stood up again, eager to defend Harry. "Because it's true! Ron, show them!"

Looking at Harry for reassurance, the red head stood and pointed toward the cage. "Alohomora!" The lock came undone and he pointed his wand at the rat. "Scabbers is Peter…he is an Animagi!"

"Pettigrew show yourself or I'll make you suffer." Harry stood and took Ron's place, his wand pointing threateningly at the rat. "Crucio!" He aimed the spell to the left of the rat. "I won't miss next time!"

"Mr. Potter…" Professor Dumbledore rose startled at the forbidden curse.

The Rat troubled as well, moved out of the cage and quickly took on the hunched over form of the familiar Peter Pettigrew. "Don't! I beg you!" His voice hissed out.

Peter protectively wrapped his arms around himself as he surveyed the distressed room. Four wands were pointing at him threatening his very life. He moved his eyes to the one being that did not seem to be hostile toward him…Dumbledore. "Protect me professor…"

"Is it true Peter? Did Sirius make you the secret keeper?" Lupin stumbled through his words, his face was paler than before and his eyes pierced his long dead friend's. "Is it true?" His voice croaked.

"No…these kids are lying...I never…" Pettigrew began his lie eager to have less wands pointing at him.

"It is true!" Harry screamed in anger, stepping toward the shaking traitor. "He is a follower of Voldemort! He betrayed them!"

Gaining more confidence, Pettigrew straightened up. "I did no such thing…" He turned to Lupin. "Moony…We're friends…you know me…"

"He has the Dark Mark! Check his arm…give him Veritaserum!" Harry continued to step toward the coward. "I could just torture it out of you!"

"Enough Harry." Dumbledore calmly quieted the room. "Sit everyone. Peter I am going to bound you until this is cleared up." With a wave of his hand the rodent like body was bound tightly to the conjured chair below him now. "I think Veritaserum is fair in this case." Dumbledore nodded toward the three best friends. "Unless there is anything else you would like to tell me or Mr. Lupin you are excused for now and we will address how you know what you do tomorrow. Please be so kind as to fetch Professor Snape and give him this letter." Dumbledore rolled up a piece of parchment he had been scribbling on and handed it to Harry.

"Snape! You can't tell that traitor Snape anything!" Harry stood and spoke with out thought. "That git would probably figure a way out to help him!"

Hermione stood and wrenched her friend back into his seat. "Harry…shut it!" She spoke with conviction, although the fear was evident in her voice. It was all going to come out now, there was no going back.

"Professor Snape...Harry. I see that there is more you need to tell us, I understand you needing to tell me things in your own time, and I have waited for you to come to me all week. Now I feel it is the time for you three to divulge your secrets." The mature Wizard's eyes twinkled lightly. "Harry, please be so kind as to enlighten us."

Taking a deep breath, the boy-who-lived was unsure of where to begin. "…urm…well you see Professor we were desperate…or that is...I know the truth of my parents. I know that Snape…"

"Professor Snape."

"Snape…I refuse to call that traitorous git anything else!" Harry's anger began to rise again, and Dumbledore's calm voice was doing nothing to relax him.

Hermione stood. "Harry…please you are making this harder!" She looked at the white haired wizard before her and waited for him to nod at her encouraging her to finish the tale. "That is Harry knows that he was the one who told Voldemort of Professor Trelawney's prophecy that led to their death." She looked at the slightly taken aback Remus Lupin.

Dumbledore let out a sigh and stood. "I am sure I taught you three the consequences of time manipulation." The three students looked up blankly with their mouths hanging open. "The spell you used to come back here was of the dark arts…I would have hoped I taught you better than that. You have ventured into dangerous waters and changing history will have unforeseen consequences." He sighed deeper.

"We had to Professor you were d…" Ron finally found his voice and was eagerly trying to defend their actions. Hermione and Harry's head were downcast at the chiding.

"Mr. Weasley I suggest you don't finish that sentence." Dumbledore's anger was rising. What had these kids gotten themselves into; they could destroy themselves as well as others.

Remus Lupin stood up as well his composure regained. "Professor that's an unforgivable spell…It would have been tracked to Hogwarts…Why have the Aurors not shown up?"

"They can only track the magic not the perpetrators. I witnessed a certain spark in these three, myself, when I first saw them, but it died down quickly." He frowned. "They will be looking into it and they will not rest until the have their man. You three have risked everything returning here…there is no excuse." He began to pace the room. "They will be here soon and they will test every person in Hogwarts."

"Azkaban…" Hermione whispered and tears began to fall down her face.

Ron pulled her into him protectively, he would do anything for her and wished he could take away her fear and place it with his own. In the end he knew he could only offer her comfort in his arms.

Professor Dumbledore looked at Harry. "How far in the future Harry?"

"The summer before Seventh year sir." Harry finally lifted his head and his emerald green eyes found his mentor's soft blue ones. "Voldemort is strong as ever and his followers had infiltrated the order and Hogwarts." He continued to quicken his speech wanting to get out the important information before being cut off again. _Damn the risk_! "Snape killed you and …"

"Harry stop…you are not helping by telling us this." He watched the young boy fall into his chair again. "Don't you see Harry…that is a future that has not taken place? Everything you think you know is not there. You three have taken it upon yourselves to use the Dark Arts and manipulate the very fabrics of time. You have condemned yourselves, and I fear that I may be unable to protect you."

"You have to Professor!" Hermione stood up shaking. "The prophecy…Harry and the horcruxes…you need him and he needs us!" She whimpered as she threw the words out.

"I'll take my punishment." Harry spoke with an eerie calm.

The room all turned to look at the small frail boy before them. Hermione whimpered as she once again fell into Ron's arms.

"I knew…somewhere in the back of my mind…I knew that I would end up in Azkaban." He looked toward his two best friends, his own tears falling. "I should never have gotten you two involved…I'm sorry…" He looked at the haggard form of Remus Lupin. "I want you to help set my godfather free…and take care of him…he needs you." Harry than looks at his aging Professor. "Professor Quirrell is possessed by Voldemort and we can destroy him, but you must find the remaining horcrux and destroy them Professor. The one in the cave is not there so do not risk your life for it; someone by the initials R.A.B. has taken it."

Dumbledore placed his hand up to stop Harry's speech. "We don't have much time. They will be here soon to take you three away." His voice softened. "Go to your dorms and pack your trunks…be quick and quiet…return here. Go now."

Hermione and Ron quickly stood and raced out of the room eager to escape their fate. Harry stood and looked at the Professor.

"He wants the Sorcerer's stone…I can weaken him now and send him running." Harry pleaded with the Wizard.

"No Harry…it is good that we know where he is. I shall take care of it…go and get your trunk, Remus and I need to speak alone and make some arrangements." Dumbledore nodded toward the door, and Harry grudgingly left the Headmaster's office.

Remus face still held no color and he dropped into the chair beneath him. "He is as daring and brave as his father…a true Gryffindor...but how can we safe them?"

Sighing again Dumbledore began to pace the floor. "First I must ask you to take on the task of caring for them and hiding them for now. No one knows you came here, so if they left with you they would not know where to begin their search."

Remus nodded in agreement, he would do anything to protect James and Lilly's child. "After they leave the Aurors will know it was them."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Yes…and they will not rest until they find them. Their fate is sealed if they are caught…For now you will hide them until I am able to contact you and than we will go from there." He began to remove items from around his room.

The portraits on the wall had been very interested in the whole scenario going on around them. They mumbled between each other and chided the grave mistake the trio had made.

Remus looked angrily toward Peter, who had been quite as he listened intently to the information around him. "What of him and Sirius…or Voldemort?" He pointed his wand at the now shaking figure.

"I shall take care of the matter." Dumbledore placed his hand gently over his former student's and pushed the wand to the ground. "We must hurry…remember to not listen to them when they tell you pieces of the future. It is no longer valid."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not ownnor make money off Harry Potter.**

Chapter Three

Harry quietly crept into his room and surveyed the sleeping students. He whispered a charm and all of his items neatly packed themselves. The dark haired boy really didn't have much and he would have liked to have some of the books for higher levels instead of first year. He looked over to Malfoy's bed, the curtains were drawn but he could make out the pale blonde's steady breathing.

Sitting gently on his own bed his mind wandered to his sixth year and Draco's weeping to Moaning Myrtle. As mush as he disliked the Malfoys in general he truly believed that Draco would have accepted the deal Dumbledore had offered him. He had hoped he could have convinced the boy to follow him instead of bending to his parent's hatred and will. The boy had no chance now…none of them did…Harry had condemned his friends to a fate worse than death. He wanted to weep like the eleven year old boy he appeared to be, but he tucked his bottom lip in and began to write a letter. He was going to try to help Draco Malfoy…he deserved a second chance away from his fate.

_Draco,_

_You will hear many stories about me over the next few weeks. All you will really need to know is that I am likely to never return to Hogwarts and I would trust no one other than you to lead Slytherin. You are a brilliant person and you will be successful in all of your endeavors. _

_As a friend I want you to believe in your self and in your own instincts and not follow anyone…especially your father. A great wizard is not born of pureblood but made from one's own blood, sweat, and tears. Greatness and respect is given because an individual earns it. You have earned it from me ten times over in my time._

_It is inevitable that you find out about my time manipulation. I came back for you Draco. You were a great man in the future, when your parents betrayed you and left you to die at the hands of Voldemort I was angry. We are best mates and I risked my life to come and save you from that betrayal. Do not trust them…they will bring about your end. Only Dumbledore can safe you…follow him, he will lead you to your destiny. _

_I shall try my best to write to you again. You are very brave and noble Draco and I am honored to count you as a mate._

_Your best mate,_

_Harry Potter _

Gently he rolled the parchment and mumbled a sealing charm that would allow only Draco to open the letter. As a second thought he added a charm to make the parchment destroy itself after the reader finished. Satisfied with the letter and his lies in it he laid it on Draco's bedside chest. He felt that the letter may have been a bit much, but it spoke to Malfoy's need to fell superior and his need for respect. Harry also felt that even if the young Slytherin did not belief him, it would at least cause the boy to doubt his parents.

Gripping his trunk and Hedwig's cage he left the dungeon and began his assent to the owlery in order to fetch his beloved owl. As he reached the top of the steps his scar began to ache and he instinctively grabbed it. _Voldemort is near!_ He backed his body up tightly against the castle wall. His mind began to race for the right course of action. Should he face Quirrell now or wait for Dumbledore's instructions.

In the end fate decided for him as an arm reached around the open door and gripped the thin boy around his cloak. "Potter!"

Stumbling onto the floor, Harry spun to face his attacker. Wand drawn he looked over at his head of house, Severus Snape. The traitor face was full of rage and his greasy hair fell into his face, his own wand had been instinctively drawn.

"Lower you wand Potter, or face the dire consequence." He seethed at the unwelcome interruption the Boy-Who-Lived had just caused. The attention seeker had let Professor Quirrell sneak through a secret passage before he had a proper chance to interrogate him.

Harry felt his temper rise, his wand shook in his hand begging him to release the pent up magic. His mind racing, he fought against his own instincts. _I should just kill him now and insure Dumbledore's future. I may not get another opportunity especially if I am sent to Azkaban._ Still he could see Hermione's reaction to such a rash act, and he did not wish to disappoint her on top of everything else he had caused. Using all his will power he lowered his wand and stuffed in to the green and silver robes he was wearing. Gritting his teeth Harry forced his apology out. "I'm sorry Professor you startled me." The young boy made to get up.

"Not so fast Potter." Snape watched the boy look up at him puzzlingly. He didn't like Potter and more and more he noticed something was off about the child who was supposedly raised by muggles. "It is past curfew...explain why you are up at the owlery." He sneered down at the dark haired boy.

Harry promptly stood up and faced the Death Eater, his temper was beginning to get the best of him and he wanted nothing more than to kill the slimy traitorous git before him. "I was coming to visit Hedwig, I couldn't sleep."

Snape smirked at the boy's confession. "Dungeons a little cold and dark for you Potter." Lowering his wand his smirk grew larger. "I would think you would be use to living under everyone in dark places...I mean considering your cupboard."

All Harry's previous attempts to reel in his temper was useless at this point, Severus Snape might as well has signed his own death warrant. Faster than the greasy Half-Blooded-Prince could blink Harry redrew his wand. Without pretense he shoved the wand toward the Potion Master with every intention of releasing the green light he knew was aching to erupt from his wand. "Av..."

"Expelliarmus!"

Despite the white knuckle grip Harry had on his wand it flew from his hand and clanked against the wall, leaving the raven haired boy blinking in shock. Shaking with anger he turned to see the Headmaster pointing his wand at him.

"Leave us Harry. Go to my office." The aged wizard's eyes held no twinkle, they appeared dull and tired. He tilted his head to the door his voice barely above a whisper as his wand disappeared into his robes. "Now Harry."

Something in Dumbledore's face sobered Harry. Retrieving his wand, he shuffled out of the room feeling somewhat shameful for his actions, he never intended to disappoint his mentor, he was Dumbledore' man through and through, yet he had seemingly hurt the Headmaster. Sighing he picked up his trunk and began making his way back to the Headmaster office.

"Harry?" Hermione Granger looked at the defeated posture of her best friend. "What took you so long? Professor Lupin and Ron are waiting in the Headmaster's suite for us." Despite noticing the crushed look on Harry's face, she had no intention of comforting him just yet. She was anxious and scared of the ministry getting here before they could escape and was eager to leave; otherwise she would have to offer comfort to him through bars. This of course was impossible considering that the Dementors were still guarding Azkaban in this time. "Come on than."

Harry felt himself being pulled, but his mind was on how badly he was mucking up everyone's life. He was naïve to believe his plan would work, when had any of his ideas gone according to their plan? Wishing to curl into a fetal position and ignore the world as a whole, Harry stumbled up the steps. _I almost killed someone. I wanted to kill him...he deserved it. I almost took someone's life..._

"You alright there Harry?" Remus Lupin looked at the pale boy before him.

Nodding his head, Potter slumped into the chair and stared at the fireplace. "Professor Dumbledore said to wait here."

Ron and Hermione exchanged knowing looks. What ever happened had indeed affected their friend, and they would question him about it later. With Harry's temper it was smart to let the subject drop for now.

Lupin looked at the children before him, that's what they where to him. He couldn't help but see them as eleven year olds, eleven year old fugitives. His face fell, these children had ruined there life, they would be fugitives...outcasts...on one hand he could relate. Being a werewolf and therefore a half-breed, he was a social pariah himself. It was a fate he wished on no one and especially not on James' and Lily's son.

He shook his head in sorrow, if Harry was telling the truth, than Sirius is innocent, and he Remus, had condemned his best mate without a trial. All the anger and blame he had placed on Sirius when it was Wormtail all along. He felt shameful, Harry and his friends risked everything to safe Sirius, and he had not even given Padfoot one chance to speak to him...to hear him out.

Looking at the bound Wormtail, he had half a mind to kill him. Still reasoning told him that it was necessary for the traitor to live so Sirius could be freed. He turned away from his dead friend, for he believed that his dear friend Peter was dead and that who ever the man in the chair was...it was not his mate.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione looked at her tattered ex-DADA professor. "Where are we going?"

Remus was startled at first at being called professor, but decided not to ask about it. That was the future and Dumbledore made it clear that the future was off limits. "I don't know he...urm..."

"Hermione Granger." She smiled her abnormally large teeth showing. "I'm muggle born sir, and my family...will I see my family again sir?

Remus shook his head. "I just don't know Hermione...I just don't know." He watched the young girl lower her head and his heart broke for her.

"Mum?" Ron looked startled, realization dawning on him. He wouldn't be going home to the Burrow...to his family. He may not be able to see them again, not Ginny, George, Fred, Charlie, Bill, not even Percy. "Dad?" His eyes grew wide and he looked at Hermione for reassurance. The bushy girl shook her head never looking up to give the red head a smile of encouragement.

"I am deeply sorry Mr. Weasley, the choices you three have made have dire consequences." Dumbledore spoke gravely as he entered the room carrying Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl. "It is very likely that you may never see your family again or risk Azkaban. For now we must send you somewhere safe." The Headmaster sighed and walked to the fireplace. "Remus you must go now. I will contact you in a few days and we will work from there."

The Marauder nodded and turned to the children, his face still grave. "What of the traitor?"

"I shall tend to him." A small twinkle entered the wizard's eyes and he turned to the time manipulators. "Do not attempt to contact me or anyone else. I shall contact you. I need not remind you to not speak of the future" His voice came out curt and direct. "Harry..." he waited for the boy to look up at him. "You must know how important you are to the light?" The boy nodded his face still pale. "Heed my words Harry."

Remus Lupin picked up a handful of floo powder and stepped toward the fireplace while nodding at the Professor. "I will guard them with my life." His face was grim. "Number Six Privet Drive, Surrey!"

Harry blinked for a moment, shock at flooing so close to his relatives, glancing at the Headmaster for confirmation. Receiving only a nod in return he waited for his two friends to floo ahead of him. Gulping the lump that had formed in the back of his throat he waited for his turn. Stepping into the fireplace he meekly looked back at his mentor.

"Professor Dumbledore…" He swallowed harshly ignoring the dryness in his mouth. "What of Snape?"

The old wizard looked over his half moon glasses at the child before him. This new twist in the-boy-who-lived's life was something that surprised him. From the day Voldemort had marked the boy, Dumbledore knew that the child would be condemned to a life of struggle and pain. Still he never expected for his guidance to lead to the use of such a dark spell to change history.

"Harry…" He sighed, the boy looked so young, and it was increasingly difficult to look at him as a seventeen year old adult. "I had the unfortunate privilege of having to obliviate Professor Snape. Your choices of using such a dark spell...the killing curse no less…was not something even I could repair." His lips thinned into a frown.

"He deserved it Professor! Death is too good for him!" The small child's face flushed with anger.

Professor Dumbledore laid a hand on the boy's shoulders. "Harry I assure you, no matter what happened in the future, Severus Snape does not deserve death. I am sure that I have taught you that what separates you…all of us…from Voldemort is love and compassion." His blue eyes sparkled, and he handed the boy a hand full of floo powder.

Harry Potter dropped his head again, his heart swelled with emotion at the fatherly hand on his shoulder. He had longed to listen to his mentor's advice since that night in the tower. Not that he bought into the Headmaster's view on Snape, but the wise voice still brought him a sense of comfort. "I'm sorry Professor…I just can't seem to control myself around him." He glanced up at the white haired wizard. "I know you are upset about the spell we used to return her and I'm not sorry we did, and I am sorry that I have disappointed you sir." He dropped his head sheepishly receiving a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder from the Headmaster.

"Harry this is something we will discuss at length later, for now you must hurry. Although it is late you still may be recognized, even in Muggle London."

"What of my father's invisibility cloak sir? You gave it to me in first year and we could use it now." Harry really would like to have the cloak back. It was not only a tie to his father but had saved his own life on many occasions."

"Of course…I am glad you remembered it Harry." Dumbledore moved about his office until he found a neatly tied parcel. "I assume you know how to use it."

Harry nodded and lovingly tucked the parcel under his arm. "Thank you Professor. Number Six Privet Drive!"

Shutting his eyes tightly against the whirl of colors, Harry waited for the inevitable dizziness that followed a floo. With a sudden lurch he was on the ground covered in soot, and coughing through the dust. He opened his eyes when he felt himself being stood up.

"Alright there Harry?" Ron brushed some soot off of his much smaller friend, as the latter nodded.

"Harry!" Arabella Figg grinned at the boy before her. "I see you have taken nicely to the wizard world, and in such a short while."

Looking up Harry tried to place the small amount of memories he kept on the squib. Something about cats? "Er...yeah…How are your cats?" Upon seeing the huge smile on the old lady he immediately regretted mentioning her pets.

"Oh they are doing so much better Harry. You know of course I had to switch their food; I'm just glad Mr. Tibbles got sick when he did, or I may not have caught it. Your Aunt has been such a help with it, I was so happy she allowed you to help me this past summer, your much smaller and I was unable to get to my sick baby."

"Mrs. Figg…" Remus interrupted, trying to give Harry a nice out. "We really must be going, I do appreciate the use of your floo, but it is quite late." He smiled at the frumpy lady in her night gown.

"Oh pish-posh, it isn't often I get company, except for Harry. Why don't the four of you have a spot of tea before leaving?"

Hermione and Ron looked at each other with apprehension. It wouldn't be long before the ministry checks the floo network at the school, and realizes that four separate beings came to this location.

Lupin steered the three children to the door, and yelled over his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Figg, but it is much too late for the children to be out, and I must get them home." Glancing out the window he made sure know one was around to see the group walk down the road. "I should have shrunk the entire luggage down at Hogwarts; I dare not use magic here."

Hermione timidly stepped forward. "Professor…I mean Mr. Lupin…we can use our wands sir."

The weary looking man's eyes opened wide as he stared at the young witch before him. "How is that possible?"

Wringing her hands together, the bushy haired girl dropped her head at her now confession. "We…performed a spell sir…on our wands, it makes our magic untraceable." Gaining confidence at talking about the difficult spell she slipped into her know-it-all mode and continued. "We did it on the train sir, it was a difficult spell in actuality I was shocked we mastered it so quickly this time. It took loads more tries on our future wands…"

"That's a dark spell…" Lupin interrupted the witch, shock evident in his voice.

"Well yes sir. It had to be done…"

"Just magic the luggage down for now." Lupin turned his attention back to the street. "Harry, are their many Muggles out at night around here?"

"No sir. I have my invisibility cloak with me; I can expand it for us." Harry looked over to see Ron grinning at him. "Dumbledore gave it to me before I flooed over."

"Perfect. You three can get under the clock and will follow me. Put your stuff in your pocket."

"What of Hedwig and Crookshanks?" Hermione motioned to the caged animals.

Remus frowned at the girl. "I'm sorry, but my place is rather small and there is no way we can keep the animals. We'll have to leave them here with Mrs. Figg, I am sure she will care for you cat. As for Harry's owl…it is much too distinguished for us to use, but I am sure she will make sure Dumbledore gets her."

"Of course I will they are such lovely animals." Mrs. Figg stated as she poked through the cage at Crookshanks.

"Ok." Hermione dropped her head again. It wasn't as if she expected to keep her cat with her when she went off looking for horcrux with Harry and Ron, but it is still hard to let her pet go.

Harry let Hedwig out, who promptly flew to his arm, giving him an affectionate nip on his finger. "Sorry girl. Dumbledore will take real good care of you, and I'll come for you as soon as we can." The owl hooted lightly in understanding and nipped his finger again. "She can find Hogwarts herself; I'll let her go now." He turned to Mrs. Figg, who was still poking at Crookshanks cage. "Can you get her cage to Professor Dumbledore?"

"Of course dear." Her attention not leaving her new pet.

"Go to Hogwarts, go to Dumbledore." The snowy owl took off through the open door.

"Under the cloak you three, we must be going." Lupin stepped out into the street, he tucked his wand in his pocket and casually walked up the street not looking back to see if the pre-teens were following him.

The three shrugged and picked up their belongings tucking them in their robes. Harry expanded the cloak just a bit, remembering that as three eleven year olds that could fit under it somewhat easily, but wanting to give them more room for comfort.

Drawing the cloak over them, they wordlessly followed their ex-professor out into the night. Despite their hurry, Harry couldn't help but to stop and stare at Number Four Privet Drive. Beyond that "normal" yard, in the "normal" house was three, "normal" Muggles, and Harry wanted nothing more than to show all three of them a "normal" curse.

Reasoning that he was more than likely going to go to Azkaban for time manipulation, and that the opportunity may not arise again, he might as well go scare the hell out of his relatives since the opportunity presented itself nicely. It wasn't as if Harry could remember all of the awful things his relatives had done to him, considering he opted to remove quite a few of those memories, never intending to return to Privet Drive. Still he had an unbelievable amount of anger coursing through his veins, and the words "freak" and "normal" kept creeping into his skull, making it ache.

Hermione had picked up on her best friend's rapid breathing and stiff stance, she knew why he was upset and racked her brain for a way to calm him. Since Dumbledore's death and Snape's betrayal, it had become increasingly harder to calm Harry down; his anger seemed to be controlling him.

"Harry, it won't do any good and you know it." She pushed him in the middle trapping him between Ron and her. Opting to use a bit of advice from an ex-Auror she tried to reason with him. "Stay the course Harry, we have a plan."

Harry nodded dully, his head aching too much for him to do much of anything anyhow. He stumbled as his friends began to pull him after Lupin, who had not stopped since stepping out of Mrs. Figg's front door. The raven haired boy allowed his friends to lead him down the street, his eyes was shut tight and his heart pounded in his head. After a few blocks he felt his headache begin to lighten and he opened his eyes to see that they were coming up to a Muggle bus stop.

Hermione glanced at Harry and shrugged her shoulders. Ron Weasley on the other hand seemed somewhat excited at the prospect of riding on a Muggle Bus. His father had told him about the red double decker the Muggles used for mass transportation, and he had always wanted to ride in one. He hoped they could ride on top, but didn't really care one way or another.

Remus Lupin sat at the empty bus stop and looked around him. No vehicle was in site and neither was any one else for that matter. Out of the corner of his mouth he whispered at Harry. "What times does the bus run?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, prompting Hermione to roll her eyes.

"He can't see you!" She hissed.

"I don't know." It was another memory Harry had parted with, in fact most of his child hood and his muggle life was sitting in a pensive in the future.

"Did you keep any memory from here?"

He shrugged again, lowering his head and began to study his feet.

Hermione Granger looked at Lupin, who was patiently waiting for a bus to come by. "The busses stop running after eleven at my house, it is probably the same here."

The ragged looking man stood up and ran his hands through his hair. If he was alone he would just apparition a few times until he confused the aurors and make his way home, but he was with underage wizards who probably couldn't apparate anyhow, and the ministry would be able to easily trace that. What he really needed was a portkey, but he was not sanctioned to make one, and doubted that they knew how. Still the three seemed to know more than most, even him it seemed. "We need a portkey; do any of you know how to make a portkey? I would do it, but obviously my wand is traceable. I would ask to use one of your wands, but get the feeling that if I tried to use it I would be cursed."

"You'd be right sir, you can't be too careful." Ron snickered at his ex-DADA professor. They all had various curses and charms on their wand for security purposes. There wands would only recognize one of their signatures, allowing no other to use them.

"I'll make the portkey." Hermione pointed at Ron's shoe. "Give me your shoe."

Ron looked startled and shook his head no. "Why me?"

"Look Ron, you obviously have the bigger foot, and we all need to be able to put our hands on it." She waited as the red head grumbled and took of his shoe handing it to the witch while mumbling something about being a know-it-all, which she ignored given the stress of the today's events. "Professor, what are the coordinates?"

Remus ignored being called Professor again by the time travelers and instead relayed the coordinates and looked around nervously for lurking Aurors. After a moment he heard the proper incantation, and once again he was surprised at the amount of knowledge the children had. He knew they said they just getting ready to enter seventh year, but still he doubted that even Hogwarts was capable of teaching them that much already. The magic they have been using was some pretty advance, and he assumed that Hermione was the cause for the trio's vast knowledge. "Ready?"

Hermione grinned at the portkey, it was actually the first one she had made, and was quite impressed. At first she wasn't sure if she would get all the hand movements correctly, but the shoe had glowed eerily in the proper blue color signaling the success of the portkey. "Yeah." She glanced about her than pulled the invisibility cloak off of them and held out the shoe for everyone to touch, she had given them two minutes until it activated. She soon felt the familiar tuck around her navel as the group was portkeyed to Lupin's home. Upon landing Hermione felt gravity pushing to the ground, which she gave into easily.

Remus was the only one who remained standing, and he couldn't help but smirk at the three children stumbling on the ground. "Welcome to my home. It isn't much; mostly it's a shack I am squatting in actually." His face fell. "Well you know, with me being a half-breed and all, I can't properly own land. Still a distance cousin use to own this land and the current owners don't even know of the shack being located back here, which fits my purpose."

Harry shakily stood up and looked at the shack in front of him. He had known that Lupin had a hard time, but had never been privy to his actual home before. Of course he had known about the Ministry's restriction on werewolves, but had always assumed Lupin still had his family home. Honestly he had never thought to ask about Remus home and his heart ached at his selfishness. "It's fine Lupin…really…thank you."

"Well come on you lot, it's late and we have a lot to do tomorrow. Let's get in and bunk down for the night." He led the group in to his one room home. It held a rickety old bed with some raggedy blankets that had been patched one too many times. It lacked a kitchen all together, but had a small bathroom in desperate need of some attention from a house elf. There was a small couch and sink in the main room and various books were neatly stacked throughout the home. There was also a very small fireplace. "You three can have the bed and I'll take the couch. Together you don't quite make up one grown person, so you should fit in their okay."

Hermione frowned at first, not feeling especially eager with sleeping with her two male friends. "Er…Well I could take the floor. I don't mind."

Ron's face dropped, he actually liked the prospect of sleeping with Hermione, wanting nothing more than to hold her protectively through the night. He hadn't envisioned Harry being there with him, but he would have more than willing to deal with that situation. His best mate knew how much he cared for Hermione, and shot Harry a pleading look.

"I'll take the floor Hermione, just the two of you will have plenty of room, without a third person I'm sure you can both lay comfortably in your own space." Harry enlarged his trunk and pulled out a few of his robes laying them on the floor as a makeshift bed.

Hermione gave Harry a grateful look and crawled into the bed, not even bothering to get in her trunk or change. With her shoes still fastened to her feet, she rolled against the wall, giving Ron plenty of room to join her.

Grinning, Ron enlarged his own trunk and tossed Harry a few robes of his own. "Thanks mate." Undressing until he had on just his slacks and undershirt he crawled in bed next to Hermione.

'Other way Ron!" Hermione pointed to the foot of the bed. "Put your head down there."

"Huh?" Groaning, the red head flipped, his feet now by Hermione's head, and his head by her still shoed feet. "Blimy…" He mumbled as he turned away from the shoes and toward the open room.

Harry chuckled at the two before laying down himself, his body welcoming the much needed sleep.

Remus Lupin had watched the friends from the couch, the trio reminding him of his Marauder days. Sighing he too stretched out and let sleep overtake him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own or make money of Harry Potter or and associated characters, I do however lose money…Never bet against a hippogriff no matter what the odds.**

Author's Note: I apologize for my inability to spell or my lack of proper grammar. If I had someone to Beta…if anyone is interested let me know. Thanks for the reviews, and I hope I can answer any questions.

Emanuel: I do believe Harry would have been that angry, if we take into account his actions at the end of OotP, I don't think he really meant to actually say the killing curse…or try to, as the case may be. It is something that will always bug him, he is very critical of himself. Time travel is complicated, but Harry doesn't believe in saying it hasn't happened, it has. The person doesn't know they did it or will do it, but it has happened and he is unforgiving. "safe"…"save"…thanks!

Chapter 4:

Harry awoke startled his heart was racing and he was having problems with getting the nightmare out of his head. His head pounded and he tried to focus on anything besides his two best friends accusing him of ruining their life, and wishing they had never met him. Shaking his head he sat up and noticed that it was later than he expected, the two windows by the only door didn't offer much light, but it did however show that it was late morning. He looked at the bed and saw that at some point during the night Ron had managed to flip himself right and cuddle Hermione.

Grinning Harry surveyed the rest of the room spotting Lupin sitting up and brooding in front of the fire. Achingly Harry managed to stand up and stretch his legs and arms. If he was here for a while he would have to transfigure himself a bed. "Lupin?"

The haggard man turned to the young boy and offered him a small smile. "How'd you sleep?"

Harry shrugged and sat down beside him. "Fine, are you ok?"

"Of course, I was just going over the various protection spells I would need to place on the shack. I'm not as powerful as Dumbledore, but I can still do a few things. Still I want to limit the amount of magic I use here, no need to draw attention to ourselves."

Harry nodded; he wasn't worried too much about it. Hermione, Ron, and he could perform the spells without worry, and besides he did not intend for them to stay but maybe a few days. There was Horcrux to chase down amongst other things.

"Well Harry stand up so I can get a good look at James and Lilly's boy." Remus grinned and took in the boy in front of him. His raven hair was as messy an untamable as James, but his emerald eyes were all Lily. "You have your mother's eyes you know."

Harry grinned, everyone who knew him told him that, but he never got tired of it. He knew much more about his father, and everyone always said how alike they where, so he enjoyed having at least this connection to his mum. "I know."

Lupin continued to study the small child, thinking he looked much smaller than most eleven year olds. He looked at his forehead and noted the famous lighting bolt scar, which Harry rubbed in embarrassment. Remus than noticed the Slytherin robes the boy was still wearing, and frowned despite himself. Despite the trio's reason for Harry being put in that house, Lupin found it hard to believe that the sorting hat would let Harry choose his house, and he also couldn't help but to take into account the few dark spells he knew the trio had used. It was something he intended to discuss with Dumbledore when he got an opportunity. Harry had noticed Lupin's discomfort and slipped out of the Slytherin robes. "If it makes you feel better, I was a Gryffindor my first time around." He tried to smile sheepishly at his parent's old friend.

Remus offered him a slight smile. "Just be glad James isn't here he never like Slytherin's! You mum was always fine with the other houses, but James and Sirius had distaste for that particular house."

"I know." Harry's head fell in shame. He didn't know if it mattered where ever his parents are now, but he liked to think they knew he was truly a Gryffindor.

Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder reassuringly, Remus looked at the boy's crestfallen face. "I'm sure he's proud of you regardless Harry, they both are." The dark haired boy nodded, and Remus sighed, he was never really good with kids. He was to straight forward for his own good sometimes, and he often felled to always see someone as a kid and not an adult. Still the three people with him are all adults despite them having the appearance of mere children.

Ron and Hermione had awoken toward the end of the conversation and were pretending they had not been holding each other all night. Ron slipped out of bed yawning loudly, followed by Hermione who managed to look somewhat embarrassed at listening in to the private conversation.

"So what's for breakfast?"

Laughing at the two, Remus stood up and looked through a chest in the corner of the room. "I charmed my self a small ice cooler, but I still don't have much. Let's see…I have some cheese and some rolls…hmm…I'm afraid that's all I have." He frowned at the lack of nutrition for the children, but he really couldn't help it. He had no money and could not keep a job considering his little problem with the moon. Occasionally he performed odd jobs for some of his closer friends and distance relatives for a few sickles here and there, but had not had much in ways of money for awhile. "You'll have to eat on the floor, I don't really have a table, but there are a few glasses over on that shelf and plenty of water to drink."

They smiled at the Lupin's efforts; none of them intended to show him how disappointed they were at the lack of a proper breakfast. Harry made a note to himself to get an opportunity to talk to Hermione and Ron alone so they could find a way for him to sneak of to Gringotts Wizarding Bank sometime today. He had to get there before the Aurors figured out he was the one who traveled through time, otherwise he would be unable to touch the money. That money was crucial for there plan at finding the Horcrux and he also intended on paying Lupin back for all his help.

Hermione cast a warming spell on the rolls and passed out the cheese. She bit her tongue at going on a tirade about the Ministry and their ill treatment of half-breeds among other things. In the past she wouldn't have been able to not make a few comments about the prejudice of the Wizarding world, but she was older now and did not want to embarrass her host.

Although Ron was disappointed in the lack of food, he was just happy to eat. His stomach was rumbling and he missed the large feast at Hogwarts as well as his mum's home cooking. His rumbling stomach however didn't care what he ate as long as it was soon. Eagerly he tucked into the food, grinning sheepishly at the others and their expressions.

After they finished their meager breakfast, Lupin went over the various charms and spells they would need to properly protect the shack. "I'll begin the process of setting up some anti-aspiration wards as well as an anti-portkey, but it will take some time and some powerful magic. I'll have to take it slow; I'm not as powerful as Dumbledore."

Hermione started to say she could help when Harry shot her a look so she promptly shut her mouth.

"While you work on that, we'll try to transfigure a table and another bed." Harry gave his two best friends a wink and crossed the room with them, leaving Lupin to make his way outside to set up a perimeter himself.

"Harry we could have helped him." Hermione stated. "The full moon is in a couple days and you can see his energy is already low."

"I know Hermione, but we have other things to tend to." Harry crossed his arms and stared at his two friends. Hermione finally sat down on the bed and waited for Harry to tell them what was so important. "I need to get to Gringotts today, once they figure out we are who came back through time, my vault will be untouchable."

"They may already know Harry, you can't risk it." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Don't think I don't know that, but we will never be able to survive without my money from the vault. We need to have enough for the search for horcrux and obviously we need food."

At this Ron decided to join in the conversation. "Harry's right Hermione, you can't expect us to live off of old cheese and rolls. Besides I doubt the Aurors have even figured out we are involved yet and even in the wizarding world it takes time to put hold on vaults."

Hermione and Harry blinked at Ron's reasoning, when had the youngest Weasley boy been the voice of reason.

"Er…right…so I need you two to distract Lupin so I can sneak off."

"How are you going to get to Gringotts? I'm sure Lupin has the anti-apperate ward up already and you don't have a license yet." Hermione pointed out.

Harry smirked and pointed to his trunk. "Believe it or not, but Malfoy and his father are useful for something, after Lucius found out that Draco befriended me he sent us two Nimbus 2000 in order to get me on his side. I haven't unshrunk it yet it's still in my trunk."

"Bloody hell Harry, how do you always manage to get such brilliant gifts?" Ron stated as he began rifling through Harry's trunk. Spotting the miniature looking broom, he pulled it out and enlarged it. 'I think it will work, but how far are we away from Diagon Alley anyhow?"

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip as she recalled the coordinates from last night. "Not bad, maybe forty miles, Harry could get there and back in about a half hour, he could wear the invisibility cloak until he got there and I can put glamour on him. The goblins at Gringotts will see right through it but most wizards won't think twice about it, the only problem is his size, you can't exactly appear older." She had come around on the excursion; she needed a few things herself from Diagon Alley, some books on Animagus and a few potion ingredients among other things. Harry could pick it up while he is there. All three of them had began working on their Animagus form in the last year, but never managed to perfected it, so they needed to start again and the book had valuable information in it. "Hold still Harry." Performing a strong glamour charm, Hermione pointed her wand at Harry's face. "The scars still there, but it's not so much a lightening bolt, more of a line so it will work. While you're there I need you to pick up a few items, some books and potions." Scribbling on a spare piece of parchment out of Harry's trunk, Hermione made her list out.

Harry grinned, expect Hermione to want books. He should have mentioned Flourish & Botts Bookstore first, would have saved him some time.

"Don't forget food." Ron pointed out. "Maybe a case of Pumpkin Juice or Butterbeer as well." He added thoughtfully. Harry and Hermione laughed and finished preparing for the trip.

"I'll tell Professor Lupin that you have a headache and are sleeping in the bed. That's easy enough too accomplished with a charmed robe. The two of you are not close in the past so I doubt he'll bother you to try to comfort you." Hermione pointed to Harry's school robe and charmed it to take on a form of a person, she than positioned in the bed tuning the opening of the hood toward the wall. "You should slip on the cloak now and go; Professor Lupin will be coming back in soon."

"Thanks guys, I'll be back as soon as possible." He pulled the cloak over himself and the broom, and flew throw the door Ron was holding open. The wind caressed his face despite the cloak and he felt the freedom the flying brought. Following the directions Hermione made he turned his broom west and took of toward London and the Leaky Cauldron. The Nimbus wasn't as fast as his Firebolt, but it still moved much faster than and Muggle car would when it comes to traffic. Harry resisted the urge to play a bit with the broom, not wanting to have the cloak fall off. His mind drifted over the last week, nothing appeared to be going according to plan, but at least Sirius had an opportunity for freedom. If nothing else changed, clearing his godfathers name would make it all worth it.

Noticing an owl flying beside him, Harry looked it over. It was obviously carrying a letter and must be capable of seeing through the invisibility cloak. Pulling his broom up he hovered, and the bird promptly landed on the broom and held out its leg. The eagle owl was obviously Draco's, its black feathers shining against the sun. Thinking that if anyone was to look up and see a perched owl on nothing it would look suspicious he took the quickly took the letter and tucked it in his robe. The owl nipped at him and waited for a treat. Searching through his robes he managed to find some of Hedwig's owl treats. The eagle owl took them eagerly than took off, much to Harry's relieve.

Resisting the urge to read to letter, Harry took off on his broom again spotting London in the distance. Lowering his broom he flew closer to the ground wanting to fly through the buildings easier. It wasn't long before he spotted The Leaky Cauldron and landed in an alleyway and dismounted. Shrinking the broom and tucking it in his pocket, he pulled the invisibility cloak back over him and waited for someone to open the door so he could sneak in.

It wasn't long before a smarmy looking wizard stepped out, allowing Harry to slip in. Harry made his way through the back avoiding the various people, and into Diagon Alley. Moving through people was much harder in the bigger crowds of the busy streets. Still Harry had a lot of experience with the invisibility cloak and safely made it to Gringotts. Stealing behind a pillar, Harry removed his cloak and approached the accounts goblin.

"I need to retrieve some money from my vault."

"Do you have a key?" The uninterested Goblin looked over at the small boy.

Harry handed the troll the key and waited for another to retrieve him. Inevitably he made it to his vault, and looked over the piles of sickles, knuts, and galleons. Hermione had told him a rough estimate of the amount he would need to remove as well as how much he should convert to pounds. The trio had estimated that it could take up to two years to retrieve and destroy all of the horcrux, and considering that this may be the last opportunity to come into his vault, he wasn't sure how he could keep that many galleons with him. Wizarding money is much heavier than Muggle money and even if he shrunk it all it would still take up a massive amount of space.

Turning to the Goblin, Harry asked how he could empty the vault and still be able to carry it all. The creature looked at the boy mutely only raising an eyebrow. After a moment the Goblin approached him.

"Are you wishing to close an account?" He pointed his finger at the boy accusingly.

"Er…yes…" Harry stumbled over his words a lump rising in his throat. He didn't really want to draw attention to himself.

"In the cart than."

Harry stared dumbly at the Goblin, who was currently shutting the vault. He hadn't had an opportunity to retrieve any of his money. "But my galleons…I never got any money…"

"I deal with withdrawals not closures. You must talk to the head." The Goblin's mouth sneered annoyed at the waste of time. "In the cart."

"Ok." Harry mentally kicked himself; this was going to take much more time than he had.

Remus Lupin stole another look at the prone form on the bed. Harry had been sleeping for the last three hours without any movement and it was worrying the Marauder to no end. "Hermione?"

The young girl looked up from the chess game she and Ron were playing. Her bushy hair slid in her eyes briefly, which she promptly pushed away. "Yes Professor…I mean Mr. Lupin?"

Rolling his eyes at the "Professor" remark, Lupin took a steadying breath. He didn't know why it irritated him so much at being addressed as a professor, but assumed it had something to do with his inability to have a job, and his child hood dream of teaching at Hogwarts. "Are you sure Harry is okay?" He glanced at the bundle of blankets and robes again. "I don't have any headache remedy here, but if he is truly sick I could travel to town for some Muggle headache remedy."

Ron looked up at the graying man. "You use Muggle remedies?"

"It's much cheaper than our potions, but it is neither as effective nor fast." Lupin stated standing up. "I'm going to town and get some, as well as some food for dinner. Can I trust that you lot will be here when I return?"

"Yes sir." Hermione couldn't believe their luck, with Professor Lupin gone Harry could sneak in much easier, although she had already expected his return she wasn't worried. The brightest witch of her age was bright enough to know that Gringotts would take a while and that once Harry retrieved all the items it would be much slower coming back. She suppressed a grin at Ron's consistent glancing at the only door. He really did wear his heart on his sleeve and was worried about their other friend.

"Bloody hell Harry! Where is he?" Ron threw his arms up in frustration knocking over the chess board and causing many pieces to curse at him. "Er…sorry guys." He picked up the set and tucked it back in his trunk. "Hermione he should be back by now. What if the Aurors caught him?" He slumped onto the hard couch.

"I'm to fast for them." Harry suddenly appeared behind them with his broom.

"Harry!" Hermione hugged her friend furiously, she was much more worried than she had reasoned and relief washed over.

"Good to see you mate." Ron grinned at the-boy-who-lived.

"Oof…let go Mine…I can't breath." He sheepishly removed the arms from around his neck.

"How did you get in, I've been watching the door like a hawk." Ron stated.

Hermione scoffed at him. "Yeah he was being very inconspicuous; I kept expecting Professor Lupin to figure it out. I had to distract Ron with chess, but even that didn't work."

"Well you weren't much of a challenge and I was bored." He returned.

Jutting out her bottom lip in anger, Hermione resisted the urge to punch Ron like she did Malfoy in third year. She didn't like her keen mind being questioned. "Did you ever think I was letting you win?"

"Not for a moment." Ron crossed his arms his anger rising.

Harry Potter stepped in between his two friends; once again he was needed to mediate. "Forget about chess, we don't have long until Lupin returns and I need to show you what I got." Reaching into his robes he pulled out a few items which he quickly enlarged.

Before the trio were three large trunks and various packages as well as two new Nimbus 2000 brooms. Ron eyes grew wide and he grabbed the new broom stroking it lovingly. Harry grinned at his friend, he would never had been able to purchase the broom for Ron before, but considering that it was necessary for the Horcrux it all worked out.

"All three chests have your money?" Hermione opened one and looked at the massive amounts of shrunken trunks inside. "Harry how much money did you retrieve?" Her eyes were wide, she always known that her friend was rich, but she never imagined he had that much money.

"All of it. Also some heirlooms and a bit of Muggle money in the third chest; I closed my accounts." Harry grinned sheepishly.

"I thought you just had the one account." Ron stated just now noticing how much money was in the trunks before him.

"I thought so too, but when I went to retrieve my money I thought it might be smart to close my account, than the Aurors could never stop me from getting it. What I didn't know was that since I was heir to the Potter fortune I was entitled to all of my family vaults." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Actually I didn't know there was more than my vault left."

"Harry you look eleven, surely you would need to either be of age or have an adult wizard with you to get to those vaults." Hermione's head was spinning. This just didn't make sense; there was no way Gringotts would let a child leave with all that money.

"I am of age Hermione." Harry pointed out.

"You look eleven Harry and…" Hermione suddenly remembered Professor Binss' class and his constant droning on the Goblin war. "Er…they could see your soul so they knew you were seventeen." She grinned apologetically at her friend.

Harry smirked; of course Hermione would know this. He hadn't known that the head Goblin could see a person's soul, so it shocked him when he was given the various keys to the Potter fortune, almost as much as the size of the fortune. His family must be as wealthy as the Malfoys if not more so. Gringotts had asked him to reconsider removing the vast fortune, but he insisted so they shrunk down roughly one billion pounds worth of muggle money if converted. It didn't take him long to retrieve the other items they needed, including food and the brooms. With all his items shrunk and placed in his robe he had no problem finding his way back. "We can go through all of this later, I'm going to shrink it and put it in my trunk. A few concealment charms and a strong locking charm should protect it for now. As far as the food is concerned we can't exactly show up with food, Lupin would be suspicious, so I purchased some non perishables which we will be able to use later."

The other two nodded, eager to know about everything, but not wanting to give away anything to Lupin or Dumbledore about the trio's plan, the item were stored away in Harry's trunk.

"Better get into bed Harry, Lupin will be back any moment." The bushy know-it-all stated.

Harry sighed; crawling into the rickety bed he wrapped himself in the cloak and faced the wall. He didn't feel it would be too difficult to play off the headache, he certainly have had enough of him in his life. Closing his eyes he let the day's events wash over him. He had never had so many things go right for him at once before, it almost made him feel that he would be able to accomplish the mission of destroying the horcruxes. Almost, but not quite, he still had a bad feeling the started as a heavy lump in his stomach and would occasionally climb into his throat making it difficult for him to swallow. He had finally accepted his fate and the possibility that he may not survive the ultimate fight against Voldemort, even if Hermione pointed at that he would win, because it seemed unlikely there would be a prophecy on another wizard the Dark Lord killed, considering how many he has murdered thus far. Another death at his hands is hardly worth mentioning, so Harry would win. She had stated it so naturally that Harry's heart had swelled with hope for a brief moment, before he allowed doubt to creep in and take up residence. Still it was something he had accepted and he rarely let it bother him. Now his fear rested on his two best friends.

Harry Potter would never forgive himself if he lost either of his friends; the other wizard and the witch were his family. He didn't see them as siblings they were much more than that, he wasn't sure what category they resided in, having no true experience in the matter, all he really knew was that without hesitation he would lay his life down for them. Harry knew that both Ron and Hermione would do the same for him and that is what frightened him. The very idea of losing Ron and Hermione brought him anguish that he had not ever felt before. His being had ached with remorse and regret with the loss of his godfather Sirius, and Dumbledore's death had caused an empty spot in him that he didn't think was ever going to be filled, but just thinking of Ron and Hermione dying would cause his very soul to be in anguish and his heart to stop beating all together.

It was not something that he focused on often, the pain of it making it difficult for him to breath. The boy-who-lived tried to suppress the emotion that pulled the thought forward in his subconscious. It had accomplished in giving him the headache he was supposed to be faking. He also became conscious of just how tired he was and how much his body was aching from the long time he had spent on the broom today. Blocking out Ron and Hermione, who had started an interesting game of exploding snap, which he thought was rude considering his headache, although they were not aware that he had one, he shifted deeper into Lupin's ragged and coarse quilt and drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor make money off of Harry Potter.**

Chapter 5:

Albus Dumbledore greeted the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who decided it was important to come to Hogwarts himself considering recent events. Peter Pettigrew had been carted away early today, and was in a holding cell at the Ministry. It had also come to his attention that after rigorous testing of all of the students and faculty and a through search of the school and its grounds that it was highly likely that the three missing students were the perpetrators of the Dark spell. What was so unsettling was that the savior of the wizarding world happens to be one of the very criminals that the Aurors were now combing the countryside for. Harry Potter the boy-who-lived was going to be sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban during his time in office. That would not look good on his record, not in this time of hope and prosperity; it would dampen the people's faith in the Ministry. Most wizards and witches did not even know of the spell the three students used and those who did know of it did not believe that it worked; considering the fact that not a soul had accomplished the jump successfully.

How was he supposed to arrest the boy on such an unusual and little known act, the Minister was annoyed to say the very least, and he knew that the great Albus Dumbledore knew where the children were residing. No one would believe him of course, so he would have to question the Headmaster alone. It was his very intention of laying the fault on the other two children and letting Harry go. It would not do to place such an important wizard in Azkaban, the people needed their heroes. He would just make up a story on how the other two had coerced Potter into the act; he being raised in the muggle world with no knowledge of magic did not understand the spell. He ignored the fact that Hermione Granger was muggle born, it was inconsequential and he would not be questioned on the matter.

"Albus such wonderful news, the capture of Pettigrew was a brilliant feat." Fudge smiled politely at the older wizard. "His trial should start in a few weeks and he shall be removed to Azkaban."

Albus frowned at the Minister; he had never trusted the man. "After a guilty verdict of course, surely if he is innocent he would be released." He knew that Wormtail was guilty, but felt the Fudge often lost site of justice and fairness.

"Of course of course. The Ministry is very fair in its trials; he will not have his rights squashed in any way." The Minister smirked.

"What of Sirius Black?" Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled.

"What of him?"

"Will he be given a fair trial? Surely you don't intend to keep the man imprisoned for the murder of a man who we know to be alive?"

Fudge flustered slightly at Dumbledore's accusations. "Of course not as I sad before the Ministry is fair, he shall be tried again."

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses at the frumpy man in the bowler hat before him. "What does he have to be tried on Minister Fudge he has no other crime against him?"

"He is a Deatheater, you must agree that his betrayal of the Potters led to their deaths, we should imprison him for their murders." Fudge's face was turning a dark shade of red, his anger was rising. It would not due for the Minister to be questioned in such a manner and the whole conversation was irritating him.

"Voldemort killed James and Lily not Sirius." The Headmaster stated. "Regardless of that, Peter has confessed to me that he was the Potters secret keeper and had betrayed them."

"When? What right do you have to question a prisoner?" Fudge demanded.

Dumbledore shook his head. "That is not important, what is important is that an innocent man is still in Azkaban, and I am sure you will do everything in your power to release him and provide him with restitution." It was not a question but a statement. Dumbledore and Snape had used Veritaserum shortly after Lupin and the children left. He needed the facts on Peter's involvement in the Potter's death. His heart broke as the short wizard had confessed to selling out his best friends and framing Sirius. What hurt even more was Dumbledore's own role in sending the innocent man to prison, he had not even given a thought to Black being innocent, instead he had assumed he was just like his family. His testimony prevented Sirius was even getting a proper trial, and the young wizard had been chucked into a cell for the last ten years, with nothing but the Dementors to keep him company. "After the entire Ministry, by your own account, is fair." His eyes sparkled with mischief.

Fudge fumed at being goaded into agreeing to release Black, but seeing no other way out and still needing to question Dumbledore on Harry Potter's whereabouts, he swallowed his pride. "I shall see to it myself that Sirius Black is released and the proper apologies will be made." He did intend on letting The Daily Prophet know that the conviction had been based on Dumbledore's testimony, it would work well in his favor to keep the masses from celebrating the old wizard.

The Headmaster nodded. "That is very kind of the Minister. Now that the nasty business is out of the way, would you like a lemon drop, it is a delicious muggle candy?"

Fudge preened his feathers and smiled at the compliment. "Of course, thank you." He plopped the hard candy in his mouth, frowning at the immediate sour taste, his mouth feeling dry and wet at the same moment. He looked up at the smiling Headmaster, and tried to force a polite smile on his face as well. The room began to swim and he began to feel somewhat lightheaded, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes he looked back at Dumbledore.

"I am sorry I couldn't be any help Minister, I'm sure you understand. I am more than happy to give an interview on Black at The Daily Prophet, and will be in touch."

"Er…what?" Fudge blinked his eyes.

"I was just apologizing on not being able to help you find the missing students and you asked me to give an interview, which I accepted whole heartedly. Don't you remember?" Dumbledore's face had a look of concern on it.

Fudge shuffled through his muddled memories for a moment. Finally he recalled the memory of the discussion on the three missing children although he couldn't quite make out his words or properly see himself through the fog.

"The wizard flu is going around Minister, and you are looking awfully pale. I suggest you return home for some much needed rest."

"Er…I suppose you are right Headmaster…thank you." Unsteadily he rose to his feet and tipped his hat. "Keep me informed."

"I shall." Dumbledore smiled as he led the Minister out. He had no remorse for manipulating Fudge's memories, but he didn't have time to be questioned. It was necessary that he contacted the Grangers, muggles who were not likely to understand the situation, the Dursleys, who he suspected could care less, and the Weasleys, who had been respected Order members when the order had been necessary. It was going to be a hard conversation, one he never expected to have before. He could just owl the muggles, but for some reason felt it was necessary for him to make an appearance. The student's head of house could accompany to the respective homes. Minerva will not mind, but he suspected Severus may be upset about having to meet Harry's relatives. Still it was necessary.

Writing two quick notes on a couple pieces of scrap parchment he sent Faux off to find the Professors. He would need to get this over with quickly so that he could than visit Lupin and the children.

It didn't take very long for both Professors to arrive at his office. He greeted each of them in turn and explained their mission. Classes had just ended for the day so they were to leave immediately. After a few comments from the Slytherin the trio flooed to the Weasley's first. Dumbledore had regretted not sending an owl to worn the family of the situation. The boy's absence would have alerted his brothers who would have contacted their parents. What shocked him was that he had yet to hear from the boisterous mother, but suspected it had something to do with the slowness of their owl Errol.

Gracefully he stepped out of the floo to see a slightly frumpy older woman humming as she magically peeled potatoes and washed dishes. Her red hair fitted right in with the flushed face that suddenly looked up at the three Hogwarts Professors. "Molly." The Headmaster greeted kindly.

"Ginny dear go to your room." A short girl with long red hair peeked out from behind her mother. She looked at the people who stepped out of her fireplace questioningly and than back up at her mother. "Now Ginny." The stern voice in her mother's voice caused her to stand up straight and hurriedly take off to her room without a backward glance.

Watching the thin girl until she reached the top of the stairs, Molly Weasley turned back to her guest. "Would any of you like some tea?"

"Is Arthur here?" Dumbledore asked gently not wanting to send her into fits without her husband near by to calm her down. Molly's temper was well known and he did not wish for himself or his staff to be on the receiving end of it.

Molly lowered her eyes. "I expect him along any moment. Why?"

As if on queue the head of the Weasley family stepped out of the fireplace and into Severus Snape, causing the latter to stumble forward. "I'm so sorry; I hadn't expected anyone to be here." Helping the potions master to regain his balance he continued to apologize over the muttering of the greasy haired Slytherin's grumbling.

"It is fine Arthur, please have a seat." Albus Dumbledore motioned toward the dining room table, which had the tale-tale sign of age and years of abuse from the Weasley's seven children. "It is rude of us to just barge in, but I did not have time for normal pleasantries, so if Molly would join you, I would be more than happy to explain our apparent rudeness." His voice was considerate. After a moment the group was situated around the table, the Professors face was subdued and the Weasley's full of apprehension.

"Have either of you heard of the Aeternus Temporis spell?"

The couple blinked and shook their head in the negative.

"It is a dark spell, so dark and powerful that it has the ability to turn back the very fabrics of time to a point the caster desires. I have never heard of wizard powerful enough to invoke the spell successfully, all previous attempts have ended in the casters death." Dumbledore stopped momentarily and nodded at Professor McGonagall.

The prim witch pursed her lips frowned sympathetically. "The Ministry has been notified that the spell had been used through a time detector. The caster was eventually traced to Hogwarts once they realized it happened on the Hogwarts Express instead of the sheep field the train happened to be crossing through. If the perpetrator is caught it is an automatic life sentence." Her Scottish accent was warm and stern at the same time.

"You-Know-Who?" Arthur Weasley gulped.

"No. Ron Weasley and two others." Dumbledore stated.

Molly stood up abruptly. "Ron? Impossible…my Ron would never use a dark spell!" She threw her arms in the air in a fit. "The Ministry is wrong, their detector is wrong! Obviously you will rectify the situation Headmaster. Where is Ron, I'll just ask him, he would not lie to me…"

"Molly please…" Arthur stood up and gripped her wife's shoulders pushing her back into her chair. Working at the Ministry he had heard that the Aurors were at Hogwarts, and had been concerned. "Let Professor Dumbledore finish."

Visibly shaking fresh tears fell down her pale face. Arthur offered little comfort; he sat stiffly in the chair nest to her. Minerva on the other hand had sat next to Molly holding her hand tightly and rubbing her back with small circles.

"Ron and the other two casters are currently…missing. The trio suspected the Ministry was on to them and took off to try and escape." The older wizard regretfully stated.

"Who are they?" Molly asked her eyes flashing in anger. "Who manipulated my boy?"

Dumbledore sighed and his eyes grew tired. "I am afraid that manipulation is not the case, he returned on his own free will the same free will that he used to leave Hogwarts. Ron is a very loyal friend and his reasons for returning prove his loyalty to others. The other two people are a muggle-born witch Hermione Granger and none other than Harry Potter himself."

"Harry Potter? The boy-who-lived?" Molly gasped out. "Percy wrote me and said that he had been sorted into Slytherin, you must be mistaken, and Ron would never follow a Slytherin he is a Gryffindor. Besides I heard he was good friends with the Malfoys, and their boy has been nothing but dreadful to Ron."

At this Snape sneered at the bubbling woman. "Not all of Slytherin is evil, is it so hard to believe that a holier than thou Gryffindor use a dark spell?"

"Yes!" Molly stood up tipping her chair her fist clenched in anger.

"It's true Molly." Professor McGonagall tried to calm down the seething woman.

"How can this be? He is only eleven; surely he doesn't have the power to do such a spell." Arthur stated flabbergasted his hands running through his thinning hair. It was getting increasingly difficult for him to control his own emotions and temper.

"Obviously if they used a spell that brought him back in time he was not eleven, I see why none of your boys are in Ravenclaw not a one of your overly large brood appear to have your wits about you." Severus Snape snarled.

"Severus!" Minerva huffed. "Have you no decency, they are obviously in shock."

"All of you calm down I will explain what I know." The Headmaster raised her arms for quiet. "Now all of you must give me your wizard's oath to not tell another soul what I am about to reveal to you." He watched as every witch and wizard withdrew their wands and stated the oath causing the group to be bound to the secret. Even if they wanted to tell anyone about the secret they would be unable to recall it, not even under Veritaserum

"I had an opportunity to speak to the three children…no adults. They are all of age seventeen to be exact having returned to the past the summer before their seventh year." Dumbledore began to reveal the details of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. He did not mention anything about Lupin or his hand in helping the students escape. The Headmaster also avoided the few tidbits he caught about the future; instead he focused on how strong and capable the trio is. "They are very close Molly. The three are also very powerful wizards their power and conviction was so strong that the three made a seemingly impossible spell a reality."

"Peter? He was the traitor?" Arthur was shocked. "How? He was so quite, never in any trouble, how could he have been a follower of You-Know-Who? Are you sure?"

"Yes. He confessed it all to me and Severus yesterday under Veritaserum." Dumbledore dropped his head slightly. "We all have a right to feel betrayed by this, none more than Sirius Black, by not only Peter but by all of us, by the Order."

"Ron's rat, Scabbers was Peter?" Molly placed her hands in her lap her voice was somber. "Ron saved Sirius Black by returning…" She began to mumble all he new information seeping in.

"That is very accurate Molly. Ron, Harry, and Miss Granger did save Sirius. Although they have traded their own life, if caught they will go to Azkaban, time manipulation is not something to be ignored." Professor Dumbledore lectured. "If any of the children are captured by the Ministry there would be no hope of saving them."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Harry Potter scrounged up his face in concentration as he reread the passage in the advance potion book; his finger clenched the new book tightly. "I don't see how it is possible Hermione. Are you sure you can manipulate the potion into working?"

"I've researched it Harry, it's not something I would venture into lightly. I've never combined two potions before or created one, but it's logical. With the advance aging potion, an advance sticking charm and a soul bearing potion it may just work." She ran her hands warily through her hair. "It's not smart to try a new potion without testing it, so I was unsure if I should even mention it, but the very idea of not being eleven…well I just wanted your opinion Harry." She slumped into the couch, her face dejected.

The raven haired boy raised an eyebrow at the frustrated witch; he couldn't help but feel the same way as the bushy haired girl. It was hard appearing to be eleven, not a soul respected him and it would be much more difficult to defeat Voldemort as a skinny boy, all the muscle and agility he had worked at as star seeker on the quidditch team was something he dearly missed. Still if it didn't work it would cause more harm than good, and it may be impossible to cure. None of the trio had put any time into healing charms, besides the occasional bruise and cut. It was one of the many things that frustrated Harry since he had returned to the past, all the help and support he had taken for granted. "You are the smartest witch I know Hermione, if any one can combine those correctly it would be you." He sighed and patted his best friend. "Have you mentioned it to Ron?"

"No…I didn't want to get his hopes up."

"I must admit that if we looked seventeen again we could move more freely, not a single Auror is looking for an adult, and with a few glamour charms we could walk out in the open." Harry tried to rub away the headache creeping up on him. "If we did this, and it worked, than we couldn't tell anyone. Not even Dumbledore could know."

Hermione nodded, it wasn't hard to follow Harry's reasoning. They did not return to the past to put the same people in danger, their original plan may have fell through, but he has every intention of doing this by himself. He wasn't going to involve the order, Sirius, or Dumbledore; he was going to go at it alone. Well he was but somehow she and Ron had managed to convince him to include them. The Aurors being after all three of them actually work in her favor at this point. Harry could never leave Ron and her in danger so he wouldn't leave them behind. "I know Harry, that's what worries me. I understand the need for secrecy, I'm all for it. It's just hard not to be able to run the potion by Professor Snape, he would know…"

"Snape!" Harry's eyes flashed. "That stupid git wouldn't help us, he'd poison it!"

Hermione flinched and curled deeper into the chair. "I know Harry." Her voice came out strained and mousey.

"What's going on?" Ron looked back and forth between his two friends. "I can hear Harry yelling from outside."

"Nothing, Is Lupin still working on the west side of the woods?" Harry asked his anger still seething.

"Yeah mate, but what is going on with you two?"

"Nothing Ron, we just had a disagreement is all. Harry's right, I just wasn't seeing it so clearly a moment ago." She smiled reassuringly at the red head. "I better get back to research." She retrieved the advance potion book Harry had thrown to the side out of anger, and cradled her parchments full of notes. "I'm going to go out and get some fresh air."

Ron watched the girl he had loved in both his lifetimes leave the broken down shack. He shook his head, she deserved better than a shack in the woods; if he had his way she would be living in the palace she deserves. "This is already hard Harry; you don't have to lose your temper on her." He glared at his best friend.

Sighing, Harry slumped against the wall. "I know Ron, I'll apologize later." He grinned at his friend. "Let's go some research on the Animagus transformation."

"Homework! That's all you and Hermione think off."

"Well when you returned you knew it wasn't going to be all pumpkin juice and Butterbeer!" Harry said with a cheeky grin.

Ron grinned. "Yeah but the brochure did promise more Butterbeer!"

The two best friends settled into their banter and started researching the Human to Animal transfiguration. It was a hard spell and required a strong bit of wandless magic. Most wizards never accomplished such a feat and none of them was eleven. Still the three of them had been practicing and working on the transformation for the last year and had doubled their efforts since Dumbledore's death. The process involved a few magic exercises and a bit of work with wandless magic. The animal was based on the witch's or wizard's disposition and personality, which was painfully obvious now considering Wormtail. Of course the trio all would like to choose their animal, especially Harry who would rather enjoy being a Grim like his godfather. Still their Patronus would likely give an indication to each individual animagi, and that pointed toward Harry being a stag like his father. Hermione didn't seem to keen to turn in to an otter, although Ron didn't mind being a Jack Russell Terrier, at least he would be inconspicuous. Still it was speculation until their actual success.

So all three of them concentrated and practiced bending their magic without their wand. Harry had more ease with the exercises than Hermione and Ron, but he just seemed to be better at wandless magic. None of them had managed a breakthrough yet, and their power did not seem as strong in their younger bodies. That would be another plus if the potion Hermione was researching on actually ended up working.

"When do you think Dumbledore will come here?" Ron looked up from the text and studied Harry. "I expected him here yesterday."

"I know. He must be busy, how do you think your family is taking it?"

Ron's face paled a bit. "If I know mum…Dumbledore is more than likely been hexed, maybe that's why he hasn't came."

Harry bit his tongue trying hard not to laugh at Ron's seriousness. "Well I guess that could be one theory."

Remus Lupin finished up the last of the incantations and his body was tuckered out. It was so close to the full moon and he could feel his lycanthropy part wearing him down. Tomorrow was the first day of the full moon and he had no wolfsbane potion, it was not a potion easily purchased, a hard find and too expensive for him to buy. He had no other choice but to leave the children here alone for the next three days, and stay at the shrieking shack in Hogsmeade. He was a bit worried about leaving them alone, but they did appear to be very capable and none of them had caused any problems. The only real problem was that he had been unable to work this past week and he was out of money, with him and three growing children, especially Ron Weasley, there was no food left.

He sighed and fell against a tree wracking his brain for a solution. Dumbledore should have contacted him by now; the Aurors must be keeping an eye on the Headmaster. He was getting worried, there was no way he was going be able to care for three children no matter how capable they appeared to be. He had barely managed to take care of himself these last ten years. That night so many years ago had destroyed the Marauders in one swoop. One night and he had lost James, Lily, and Peter, or so he thought at the time. Sirius was carted to Azkaban and he was left alone with nothing and no one. He had wanted to care for Harry, but the law would never give a half-breed a child, and Dumbledore had insisted on sending Harry to his relatives on the Evans side. Remus had never felt so alone and incapable in his life, all his knowledge from Hogwarts and his own research could not save his friends and family. He had been alone since that point in time, living off of other's scraps like the dog the Ministry believed him to be.

Now he was had an opportunity to help James and Lily's son and he was in no position to do so, Lupin felt as if he was failing them all again. How was he to keep the boy safe from Aurors and the Dark Lord, if what Harry said was true, when he had nothing? He just wasn't the right man…beast…for the job. Remus head dropped onto his hands and he silently let the tears fall, he was no protector, he couldn't even afford to feed them. Grief from the past wracked his body in pitiful sobs.

"Professor…Lupin?" Hermione approached the weeping man. "Professor?" Her face was etched in worry and she glanced through the trees for the shack hoping Harry was near to help. In all the years she had know Remus Lupin she had never seen him cry such as this, not even when Sirius died. Although she felt he was putting on a brave front for Harry. "Are you okay?" Of course he wasn't okay, why would she ask that?

Remus wiped away his tears quickly and looked at the young girl. "I'm sorry Hermione; I was just feeling sorry for myself, no excuses." He tried to give her a small smile, but couldn't manage it through the shame he was feeling. "I didn't mean for you to find me like this." He wiped his face again and stood up. "I think I'm just a bit tuckered out."

Hermione Granger nodded at the prematurely graying wizard. She couldn't help but to feel guilty for the stress and pain her, Harry, and Ron and brought with them. At that point her mind was made up, she would begin working on the potion tonight in secret and by this time tomorrow she would be seventeen again. She was not going to be a burden to anyone. Of course she would have to work on it secretly, if Harry and Ron knew they would never allow her to test the potion first, being the men they are they would insist on being the guinea pigs.

"It's okay Professor, I shouldn't have bothered you." Hermione reached up and patted her ex-professor's back.

"Was I any good?"

"Er…what?" She raised her eye brows in confusion.

Remus face broke in to a ghost of a smile. "As your professor, all of you keep referring to me as a professor. I was wondering if I was a good professor."

The bushy haired girl smiled brightly. "Yu were brilliant, the best we had." She wasn't lying; he really had been the best DADA teacher at Hogwarts since she had been there. "You taught Defense you know?"

Remus had to laugh at this; it wouldn't have been the class he would have guessed. He was never as good as Sirius and James at Defense, he was always better at research and charms. He actually would have enjoyed teaching History of Magic, but doubted Binns would ever give it up, especially since death didn't seem to stop him. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, well Dumbledore must have been hard up to use me."

"Oh he was, but using you was not a hard decision you are a spectacular teacher." Excitement filled her voice. "We never had the same Defense Professor twice actually, it is a hard position to fill and keep. We had Professor Quirrell our first year, " her face fell a bit at this, "well you know the problem with him of course."

Remus nodded in understanding. "You-Know-Who." It was a situation he was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around, he found it hard to believe that Dumbledore had unknowingly hired the one wizard the Dark Lord had possessed.

"Right, well our second year we had Gilderoy Lockhart." She resisted the urge to swoon at the memory of his handsome face but she did blush a bit.

"The famous novelist and dark force fighter? Why wouldn't he work out?" Lupin was confused; he had read a couple of the wizard's tales of defeating ungodly creatures.

Hermione shook her head at the memory. 'Turns out the man is a fake, doesn't even know the simplest of defense spells. He would obliviate the minds of the true heroes and takes the credit for it, and due to certain unforeseen circumstances ended up obliviating his own mind. He wouldn't know a wizard from a house plant now." She grinned, she had felt bad for him when they had seen him at St.Mungo's, but Lockhart was a real git.

"Oh…" Remus was taken aback. "Well I guess karma and all that works in the wizarding world as well as the muggle." He smiled at Hermione's shocked face that he even knew the word karma. "I spent some time traveling, looking for a cure for my little problem and such." It was the only explanation she needed, the young girl seemed to understand and she didn't appear to pity him or be afraid, which was a relief.

"Well our third year we had a brilliant professor for DADA, I would have to say our favorite. He managed to teach Harry a full blown Patronus by the end of term and was very apt at explaining the finer point of the Dark Arts." She touched Remus arm lightly. "It was you."

Lupin was in shock, he taught Harry how to conjure a Patronus, maybe he was better at Defense than he had assumed. "How could I teach, the laws forbid it mostly. At the very least it makes the situation hard on my employer, and you said only one year, what happened?"

Hermione giggled a bit at the expressions on Lupin's face. "Well Professor Dumbledore dealt with the ministry and Professor Snape brewed you the Wolfsbane potion each month. The student body wasn't aware of your half-breed status until much later in the year." She frowned at the memory of the potions master and his manipulation that exposed Remus to the student body. "You wasn't fired Professor, you resigned, some type of moral code about not wanting to cause more trouble. I always felt it was hogwash that you didn't stay, but not even Professor Dumbledore could convince you." Remus Lupin said nothing at this. He just nodded his head at her, encouraging her to continue with her tale.

"Our fourth year we thought we had the retired Auror Alastor Moody…"

"Madeye?" Remus shook his head at the Hogwarts student's misfortune. He had known Madeye and was familiar with his eccentric quirks and views. "That must have been an experience."

"It was, but not because of Professor Moody, we were actually being taught by a Deatheater using Polyjuice to kidnap Harry for Voldemort." She had managed to make peace with saying the name and resisted chuckling at Remus flinching. "Inevitably the ruse was discovered but the damage was done. The Deatheater never made it to Azkaban; he had died before the Aurors arrived."

"Was Harry kidnapped?" Remus asked startled.

Hermione dropped her head. "Yes." There was no way she could tell Remus the whole story, but she could make him feel a bit better. "He escaped though; he is the strongest person I know." She swallowed and continued her tirade on the Defense position at Hogwarts. "Our fifth year we had Dolores Umbridge, a horrid woman the Ministry sent. She was never proven as a Deatheater but she was as bad as one." The smartest witch of her age did not like speaking ill of a Professor, but she gritted her teeth and continued. "She even managed to get Headmaster Dumbledore fired, and she hated Harry, she even gave him a life time ban in Quidditch." She stated matter-of-factly. "Harry had been playing on the team since first year, and managed to always keep the cup with Gryffindor, he is a brilliant flier." She smiled at the memory of Harry on a broom; he seemed to always be truly happy when he was flying. "I suspect the Centaurs still have her tied up somewhere or she's dead, I really don't know. The new Minister of Magic did turn over all the new rules that Umbridge made, so at least Harry could fly again."

"New Minister? What happened to Minister Fudge?" Remus was startled to hear about all of the things the three children had been through. He knew that Dumbledore would not wish for him to know any of this stuff, but he couldn't help his curiosity.

"He was removed form office after the whole Umbridge thing and Voldemort's obvious return at the Department of Mystery's. The Head of the Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour, took over as Minister, although he isn't much better. All of them just want to use Harry, it's quite disturbing." Hermione could not stop herself from telling him some of the details. She honestly knew she shouldn't, especially after Professor Dumbledore's warning but the words kept tumbling out. "Last year Professor Snape was our DADA, he had always wanted the position the whole school knew that, but we was shocked that he had managed to get it. Professor Slughorn took over potions."

"Even I know how much he wanted the DADA position, I am surprised Dumbledore gave it to him, he had such a passion for the Dark Arts and after working for Voldemort, you would think the Headmaster would want him no where near it." Remus mused.

Hermione smirked at the old Marauder. "That was our feelings exactly." She stood up not wanting to go into more detail, the guilt of what she already said bothering her. "It's getting late Professor, we should head back."

"Please don't."

"Don't what sir" Hermione turned around and looked curiously at him.

"I am not your Professor Hermione. Please stop calling me one, call me Remus or Lupin, I can't stand the word mister, but either one of those would do." He chided.

"Okay…urm…Lupin." She smiled at him. "Let's head back; I suspect that Ron is starved." The two laughed at the eating habits of the red head and headed back toward the shack.

"I don't have any more food you know." Remus sighed.

Hermione smiled held out a basket she had been concealing. "I found some berries in the clearing and you do have a bit of flour and sugar, I could toss it together and we can have a small meal. I am sure Professor Dumbledore will send money or food soon."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Author's Note: I would love to have a beta, but I am unsure how to go about that, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Also I am a bit disappointed at the lack of reviews, as I so nicely update regularly.

Harry Potter finally managed to slip away from everyone. He hated sneaking around behind his friends but he wanted to read Draco Malfoy's letter alone before sharing it. His hope was that the potential Deatheater would turn to his side and be invaluable this time around, especially since one of the horcruxes resides in Malfoy Manor in the form of a muggle journal. The blonde Slytherin was still a pompous prat, but Harry felt that was more to do with his biased father. Pulling out the parchment, he unrolled it revealing the crisp writing of his once enemy. The boy had obviously had handwriting lessons and calligraphy, probably something most wealthy purebloods prided themselves in. He sighed and began to read the letter.

_Harry,_

_Some rumors are getting around about you a couple of goody Gryffindors, including the mudblood. Your letter confirmed that the rumor was true so it made it difficult to disregard the other information you told me. The entire Wizarding world is after you even accusing you of being the next Dark Lord, I guess it doesn't help that you are a Slytherin. _

_After finishing your letter my first instinct was to show it to my father. Still my own Slytherin instincts and your words stilled my actions. Your claim that I was killed by the Dark Lord who you destroyed years ago, and my own parents betrayed me to them. How is that even possible, You-Know-Who is gone, have you forgotten why you are the bloody famous Harry Potter? My father can be power hungry, but he is loyal to those who are loyal to him, why would he betray me? _

_I shall heed your advice for now, but I am weary considering your accomplices. I find Weasley and the mudblood Granger to be out of character for you. _

_Draco Malfoy_

Harry ran his hands through his unruly hair and slumped against the tree behind him causing a knot to dig uncomfortably into his back. Malfoy could not have asked him a more difficult question, how could he explain away Ron and Hermione? He doubted he could convince the blonde Slytherin that he was friends with a Muggle born, and Ron wouldn't be easy either. At least the Weasleys are purebloods, although of a different class than the Malfoys, a better class his opinion but he couldn't deny the monetary differences. His best options would be to continue to lie to him, although in the end he feared the truth would come out.

His mind wandered to another time with Professor Snape, and the Wizarding's views on life debts. It really was his best option when it came to the pureblood wizard. Harry would need to weave such a tale to Malfoy that would convince the Slytherin that he owed the two Gryffindors a life debt and that was what had brought them into the group. It wouldn't be hard to convince Draco that the Gryffindors had saved him from death; after all it is one of the qualities the house is known for. The real situation is telling the tale in such a way as to not wound the youngest Malfoy's pride.

Sighing, the Boy-Who-Lived slid his body down the tree and tucked his head in between his knees. He was going to have a long evening ahead of him, and the whole thing was causing his head to ache. Sometimes he wanted nothing more than to curl into a fetal position and deny the prophecy. At seventeen he had witnessed more than most and he was weary to his very soul. Lesser people would have allowed depression and doubt to consume them completely, but Harry continued to fight against the darkness and hopelessness that strived to gobble him up. His pride and anger rarely allowed him a moment to weep for his misfortune or dwell on it, so the raven haired boy shook off his dire thoughts and pulled out some parchment and a quill. He has work to do.

_Draco,_

_I am glad you did not go to your father; however I must remind you that I had spelled the letter and it is no more than ashes now. That said I admit that my accomplices would baffle you, especially considering my display in the Great Hall with Granger. One must keep up appearances such as they may be, being a Slytherin you must understand that._

_The Dark Lord returned to his full glory in our fourth year and your father resumed his path as a submissive blind Deatheater, pushing you in a similar direction. You can understand Voldemort's desire to destroy the ruddy "Boy-Who-Lived", so I was a target, and you being my best mate one as well. Your father threatened and tortured you in fifth year looking for you to betray me, and you refused. I have never gotten the full details on that night, but the Gryffindor prefects, Weasley and Granger, discovered you near death in the dungeons. The Know-it-All literally put you back together and saved your life, since you adamantly refused to go to the hospital wing. They kept your secret and you owe Granger a life-debt, something you continue to remind us of. _

_Your father was not pleased with your refusal to betray me, considering his blind loyalty to Voldemort. You however are aware of my power, as a mere child I defeated the so called Dark Lord, and you have seen a bit of my power now. You and I follow no one. We seek our own paths in life and I for one will not bow to anyone. After you were disgraced by your father you managed your life yourself for a year, adequately I might add. The four of us became a powerful group until your mother tricked you…you know the end result._

_I returned to destroy Voldemort for good and to save you. I have no desire to rule the Wizard or Muggle world, and have no need for money or power. I seek a life free of blind followers and full of long Quidditch matches. I am not a Dark Lord; I am Harry Potter your best mate._

_Harry_

Harry rubbed his nose in satisfaction at his letter. He felt he had managed to maintain a sense of smugness as well as enough of the truth mixed in with the blatant lies. He did worry about revealing the return of Voldemort in fourth year to Malfoy, but decided that it lacked the details that could cause him any real trouble. Harry was concerned that he was giving the Slytherin too much credit by implying that Draco would choose him over his father, but he touched on the submissiveness of the elder Malfoy as if it was a weakness. Rolling the parchment up and adding the proper spells and wards to it, Harry wondered how he was to get the letter back to Hogwarts. Hedwig was gone and he had no other owl to send.

Briefly his mind wandered to Sirius Black, his godfather and a fugitive of the Ministry in another life, and his own experiences with sending letters. Somehow the Animagus always managed to send Harry a different owl with each correspondence with out going into town. It wasn't something he had never thought about before, but now he regretted not asking about it. He could just go to Hermione, she seems to always have an answer, but than he would have to tell her about the letters and her own involvement in the lies he has spun. He doubted she wouldn't be pleased with his manipulation and the ease at which he manages to act so Slytherin. Still she may understand it once he explains his reasoning, besides he had already put this plan in motion, no going back now.

His mind made up, Harry stood and stretched his lean form. The eleven year old body was still malnourished and weak a fact that bothered him immensely, even if he can't recall exactly why he was so much smaller than Hermione and Ron. Trying to recall a memory he left in a pensive in the future would result in nothing but a massive headache. The only thing he could really understand was that what ever caused him to appear to be so frail left him feeling angry and sad at the same time. It was something he resolved to ask Hermione about, not knowing why he felt anger about his child hood was eating at him.

Retrieving his letters and quill and returning inside just as the sun was going down, the full moon already on display. "Ruddy hell, Lupin!" Setting off at a run he made it to the shack to find only Ron sitting on the floor doing his Animagus exercises. "Where is Professor Lupin…Hermione…full moon…?" Despite the short distance to the shack Harry had begun to panic at not finding Hermione tucked inside the building safely.

"Hermione said she was going after you and Professor Lupin apparated to the Shrieking Shack. He wanted to speak to you before he left but it got too late, he will be back in a few days and he said Dumbledore should arrive soon." Ron stood up and rolled his neck stretching the muscles. "Where have you been for the last few hours?"

Harry took a few gulps of air and allowed his heart to slow down, before looking at the red head. "I was penning a letter." He stated honestly. "Did you eat?" Best to change the subject to food when it comes to Ron, otherwise he would want details.

"No, Hermione tried to cook some berries with some sugar and what we thought was flour. Ended up that someone had grinded some bones down and placed them in the flour sack." Ron Weasley gave his best mate a sheepish grin. "I actually turned a bit green after tasting it!"

Harry began to chuckle a bit at their rotten luck, both boys' stomachs growling in hunger. "Well since Professor Lupin is gone we could break out a few of our supplies, I could use some food myself." Harry began to shift through his trunk and pulled out a tiny sack of provisions which he engorged so that he could retrieve the food. "Can you get Hermione? I'll put on the food."

Ron grinned at the prospect of having an actual meal. "Sure mate, even she will be excited to have some food!" Making his way outside he began to search for the girl that held his heart. He resisted his first instinct to call out for her, it would draw unwanted attention in the woods they are currently hiding in.

"Lumos." He lit his wand, and held it much like a muggle torch, as he weaved through the trees looking for signs of Hermione. Fearful that he still hadn't stumbled on to her, looking back at the distance he was away from their temporary home, Ron debated retrieving Harry to help him. "Hermione where are you?" He called as loud as he dared. A shuffling noise drew his attention down a short path where he discovered a light coming from a small cave. Squinting he made out the small form of the eleven year old Hermione working diligently over a simmering cauldron. "Hermione?"

Startled the muggle born jerked up trying in vain to hide her work; having just finished the last of the potion, she was in the process of bottling it up. "Hey Ron!" She tried to sound cheerful but her voice squeaked out in an unusually high pitch. Coughing a bit for effect she tried again. "Did you need something?"

Finally reaching the cave and standing across from the witch, the pureblood stared at the puke green potion simmering behind her. "What is that for?"

"What?" Hermione Granger was never very good at lying. Even as a child she could never get away with any fib, so she usually just relied on the truth. Still she couldn't help but to attempt to lie about this potion. If she didn't the boys would insist on testing the potion on them which could result in unforeseen consequences, something she could not live with.

Ron pointed angrily at the workspace behind her. "You know what!"

Having the grace to blush at her lousy attempt to hide the potion behind her, Hermione decided to switch tactics. "Oh that…urm…well it's nothing. Just a potion I was practicing, but it didn't turn out right, wrong color and such. Really a waste of precious ingredients, still that is hardly the…urm…proper dull grey color of the Wolfsbane potion, I just thought I could brew it for Professor Lupin." She hoped Ron would buy her story, especially since he knew of Lupin's condition.

Ron tilted his head in suspicion, he found it very unlikely that Hermione couldn't brew anything; she was brilliant at everything including potions. He also didn't believe that she would retreat to a cave deep in the forest as a place to brew her potion and was smart enough to know that Hermione Granger would never be so callous if she failed at something, so she was obviously lying. "I may have bought that excuse if I was truly eleven Hermione, but I know you."

Gently he pushed her aside and studied the contents in the brass cauldron. Ron had taken potion for six years, and advance potion as well so that he could become an Auror. He may come off as slow or dimwitted at times, but he wasn't. Glancing over the ingredients he recalled the properties and practical uses of them. "I don't recognize this potion, but those are not ingredients that would be useful in Wolfsbane!" He snapped angrily. "Besides even you would not bottle a useless potion!" He turned to her accusingly.

"It is none of your business Weasley!" Hermione glared angrily at the nosy boy before her. He always managed to push her buttons.

"It is my business if it involves you!" He jutted his chin out in anger his mind reeling. "Are you attempting to try this potion alone…do you have no regard for Harry and I, what if something went wrong?"

"I was thinking of "YOU" and "HARRY"! It is all I think about since I have been back here! I don't have the luxury of my parents, most of what I have of them are somewhere in a pensive in the future!" Hermione brushed the back of her hands roughly across her cheeks trying to flick the tears away. "The potion is for us…all of us…so we aren't children anymore…it was for you…"

Ron's faced paled. "An aging potion? It won't last the night, you know that."

"This one will. I have taken a few liberties with it." She daftly slipped into professor mode her tears forgotten. "I actually got the idea from Gringotts; it was fascinating really how the goblins could see the essence of Harry's soul. Of course our very soul would have been what was transferred through time, I had never really thought about it before than actually. Our bodies must still be in the future, maybe in coma like state or even dead..." She shuddered at the thought. "That's why the spell is irreversible we have no bodies in our time anymore, and in essence we stole our eleven year old bodies. It's no wonder the spell is forbidden really."

Ron stood their gaping at the bushy know-it-all. He was use to her going off on tangents and focusing on "how fascinating this was" or "how clever one was", he largely ignored it in general, but for some reason all he could do is nod his head at her lecture.

"Logically if you stole someone's body even your own you must destroy the soul that resides within it, or at least send it off somewhere. Since it is the same soul, it may merge, that's something I would like to research really. I bet Harry could find a book on souls in Knockturn Alley, not that he should be going there mind you, but with his invisibility cloak…well he has been there before…"

"Hermione, what is this potion?" Ron pointed at the simmering cauldron.

"It doesn't have a name Ron, I just made it; honestly haven't you heard a word I said?" She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I heard that but what does it do?"

"I told you it is an aging potion." She stated matter-of-factly, and got an annoyed look from the red head. "Our souls are seventeen Ron, that's why Harry is of age to the goblins. The reason an aging potion doesn't usually last is because your soul overrides the ingredients in the potion making it null and void, and eventually your body expels what is left." She lifted a flask of the potion fingering it lightly. "Theoretically of course, no one really knows why. Still it gave me an idea; I mean a normal aging potion won't work, because we technically are not in our rightful bodies." She gestured at his young form. "I mean it is you but it's not."

Ron tore at his hair in frustration. "You already explained that! Why are you brewing this potion in a cave and hiding it from me and Harry?"

At this Hermione managed to look a bit guilty, her face paled a bit and her confidence weaned. "Well I can't very well test the potion on just anything, a rat won't work nothing will but one of us. We are unique now; I just wanted to test it…"

"You what? Are you bloody mad? Do you have a death wish?" Ron Weasley grabbed her shoulders tightly, shaking her in anger. "How could you? Why would you risk it?"

"WHY?" She tore away from his bruising grip. "Are you serious? Why? Because I hate being eleven, because I'm not eleven, because you aren't eleven, Harry isn't eleven! I'm seventeen, you're seventeen, and if we are going to survive this we need to be adults not children. How are we going to fight Voldemort and Death Eaters or find Horcruxes as children?" She fumed and paced. "I can hardly see in the ice box and my power feels dimmer and I can't touch you…" Hermione clamped her mouth shut with her hands her eyes wide.

Ron paled a bit at her tirade and practically fainted at her last few words. Mustering his courage and his face now as embarrassingly red as his hair he forced the lump in his throat down. "You want to…to touch…me?"

The smitten witch nodded her head, the words she always turned to failing her. She couldn't believe how she could blurt out something like that. Hermione Granger had loved him since third year, and she tells him by saying she wants to touch him. A hundred conversations in her head, and hours…days…of practicing in the mirror and she blurts out she wants to touch him! If she wasn't already in a dank dark cave, she would have sought one out and hid in it.

The emotions of the Gryffindor danced across his face ending with a wicked grin that was trying hard but failing to squash his laughter. His young voice burst forth in a fit of laughter and despite his best efforts he couldn't stop.

"It's not funny Weasley!" With anger her voice returned full force. She also unconsciously fumbled in her robes for her wand defensively readying a hex.

It was Ron's turn to clamp his mouth shut or at least his laughter. "I'm sorry Hermione, I just never expected you to utter those particular words in that particular order before. I had hoped you would, for years now and even imagining you doing it on our wedding night…"

"You what?" Hermione pointed her wand at his chest her anger starting to fall.

"Merlin, you must know I feel the same way?" The youngest male Weasley took a step toward the muggle born. "I have wanted to touch your hand, your hair, your cheek, your lips…" He now stood right next to her his face inches from hers, he lowered his lips to hers but caught her cheek as she wrenched away from him.

"Are you mental? We're eleven Ronald!"

He stumbled backward falling against the cavern wall, his face full of shock. "Well I don't feel eleven!"

Hermione stared at him, the cave became eerily quite at his declaration. Her mind went over the potion before her again, reading off the idea and incantations she used for it. It was logical and simple, it would work, and it had to work. Without a second thought, she carelessly tipped the flask in her hand up swallowing the fowl contents. A surge of painful white light blinded her eyes, her body felt as if it was under the Cruciatus curse, and she fell to floor in agony before her world went black.

"Hermione!" Ron fell to his knees and cradled the thrashing girl. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and she looked as if she was having a seizure. As quick as it started the tremors stopped and he held on to a pale cold body of an eleven year old Hermione Granger. "Don't die…you can't die!" He rocked the cold girl for a bit and rubbed his hands through her sweat soaked hair. "Hermione…wake up…"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own or make money off of Harry Potter.**

Author's Note: I am sorry about the wait, but I have a wonderful beta now, **LadySunflowe**r, so maybe I can cut down on all my mistakes. Also the first seven chapters had already been written, but hopefully I will be able to update once a week. To answer **Padfoot2304**'s question…I do intend to include other people, but the story will stay "trio-centric". Also my story will contain no slash.

**Chapter 8:**

Harry Potter stirred the contents of the pan absent-mindedly. He still tended to do most things the Muggle way. Instead of heating up the can of stew with a simple warming spell, he was using a small stove that Remus managed to transfigure a couple of days ago. Sighing he glanced at the door again; it had begun to rain in the last few moments, as it usually does in England, and Ron had yet to return with Hermione. The-Boy-Who-Lived was growing concerned at the absence of his friends, and decided that now would be the best time to go out after them.

Shutting the stove off, he threw on his cloak and stepped out into the rain when he heard a low popping noise behind him. Instinctively he withdrew his wand and turned on the intruder and instead found himself shocked to be staring into the amused blue eyes of the Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore?" Harry lowered his wand and stared at the old man.

"You are quite quick with it I see; very good." His mischievous eyes twinkled. "Let's get in out of the rain."

Harry nodded and started to follow when he remembered why he was out there. "Wait, Professor, I was just going after Ron and Hermione. They should be back by now and have been out in this weather for a bit. I am a little worried."

Albus Dumbledore frowned a bit at his missing students. He withdrew his wand and said an incantation to ward them from the rain. "I will help you search for them; I need to talk to all of you."

The two wizards lit their wands and began to search the surrounding forest for signs of Ron and Hermione. After a few moments they heard the sound of weeping coming just beyond a small hill. Both set off at a dead run toward the noise, the aged wizard moving unusually fast. Discovering the cave, they both saw Ron clutching the still body of Hermione in the floor.

"Ron!" Harry slid to a stop beside the two figures his own eyes tearing up. "What's wrong with Hermione? What happened?" Harry looked from the pale witch to the mumbling wizard.

"Wake up…don't die…wake up…don't die…" Ron continued to mumble the mantra as he held the young girl.

Dumbledore took note of the potion items around the cave floor and looked at the child's still form. Gently he kneeled down and touched Harry's shoulder. The two exchanged knowing looks and the young boy moved over to his best friend. He gripped the boy in a hug from behind, pulling him away from his other friend's limp form. Despite Ron's struggle he held him tight giving Dumbledore a moment to look over Hermione.

Hermione Granger was still, her lips had a bluish tent to them, and to most observers she would appear to be dead. Dumbledore however recognized that her chest seemed to rise a bit and fall slightly; not enough to give her the proper amount of oxygen, but still there was a bit of hope. Gently he picked the frail girl up, cradling her in his arms. "She is not dead." Swiftly he rushed out with the bundle, yelling back over his shoulder. "Bottle up the remainder of that potion and bring it with you. Do not touch it with you skin." With a swish of his robes he was gone.

The first thing she remembered feeling was a pressure on her chest, as if she was gradually being pressed down upon by a seemingly heavy object. Than her body began to tingle and it hurt to move; pins and needles seemed to be poking into all her nerves, similar to how a waking limb would feel except multiplied by ten. Resisting the urge to curl into herself she instead tried to pry her eyes open but found she was incapable. Then as suddenly as it began she felt warm arms cradling her protectively and an overwhelming need to stretch out as if waking from a mid-afternoon nap. Overcome with that urge, it's just what she did.

Dumbledore stopped mid-stride, his arms felt the increasing weight in them. Placing the wrapped girl on the ground he removed his cloak to find a young woman stretching in clothes much too small for her, before curling in to a ball and falling into a deep restful sleep. He had been mere feet from the Apparation point, but found it was unnecessary now. With a slight chuckle and a grin, he had to smile at the child's brilliance if nothing else, although he would never admit it. With a swish and a flick the body floated behind him towards Lupin's shack. He had many questions for the wayward travelers.

Harry and Ron returned to the shack to find the Headmaster enjoying a simple feast on an obviously conjured table and chairs. Stunned they opened their mouths to protest, but the Professor just nodded toward the sleeping teenager in the ragged bed. A smile was on her face and her color was back. With a simple motion the two boys joined the small feast all eating in silence and relief.

"I assume that whatever effect that potion was meant to achieve was successful?" It wasn't really a question.

Ron stole a glance at the beautiful girl on the bed, her brown hair splayed out in waves over the pillow. A smile plastered on his face. "Spectacularly!"

Chuckling a bit and a twinkle in his eye, he turned to seriousness of the situation. "I don't encourage testing new potions on one self. There could have been some nasty side effects and still may be."

"No it works perfectly, I know it," Harry said in seriousness. "Hermione would never risk it if it didn't; you don't know her in this time but she is the smartest witch in this age, if not longer."

Dumbledore regarded the boys over his half-moon glasses. "I don't recommend you risking it, but I suppose you are both of age and I have no way of stopping it."

Both boys nodded a fierce determination on their faces.

"Will you at least allow my Potions Master to review it before attempting to take the potion?" He was careful to avoid Severus's name but everyone knew to whom he was referring.

"No." Somehow Harry managed to sound stern despite his young voice. "I know your feelings on the future, but I will not budge on the Snape issue. I would hope you would heed my wishes in this; I don't want him involved with anything pertaining to me, and he is not to know of anything I tell you."

"He is an Order member, Harry. You do realize that the Order shall remain involved in your life."

The boy-who-lived resisted the urge to toss his goblet of pumpkin juice at the wall. "I expect nothing less, but I…we…" he amended at Ron's scathing look, "…have a job to do. We did not risk Azkaban and our families to hide in a shack. Things may have not gone as planned, but we still will strive to accomplish our goal."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, an eerie calm filled the room. "I would have never allowed you to use such a spell and from talking to Lupin earlier you continue to use surprisingly Dark Magic."

"It is the intent of the spell that counts!" Ron yelped in their defense. "We have nothing but good intentions!"

"We shall see." The older wizard stood up and with a wave of his hand the table, chairs, and feast folded into nothingness.

Harry Potter stood up to his full height, which is not much for a mal-nourished eleven year old. "I am not Tom Riddle…and I am not Albus Dumbledore. I am Harry Potter, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, not an attention seeker, not a Dark wizard…not even a Slytherin!" His voiced continued to rise in pitch. "The prophecy will come to pass no matter how much I fear it, but I will not tuck my head in the sand and allow myself to be lead on a leash. I am doing this on my own terms; nothing you can say can change what is done. The great Albus Dumbledore could not turn back time and save my parents or squash Tom Riddle as a student, but the Golden Trio…we did turn back time and nothing will stop us from staying the course." He set his jaw, his raven hair unnaturally messy and dancing about his head.

"And what you risk, Harry Potter? Is it acceptable?"

Emerald eyes blazing with magic he nodded in the affirmative. "It is."

"I shall heed your wishes for now, Harry, but the Order will be here for all of you. We are a very useful tool and Molly would want to make sure all three of you are eating properly." The group chuckled lightly, although Ron gulped at bit. "I expect you to stay in contact through secure channels; I assume you know what channels I refer to?"

"Yes, we will keep you updated on our search." Harry glanced at Hermione resting on the bed. "How long?"

"She'll be awake by tomorrow I suspect; I found no physical damage in a scan. Wait until then to take the potion, at the very least, as a personal request from me." Dumbledore placed his tall, wizard's hat on top of his head.

"We will leave before Lupin returns."

The old wizard eyes twinkled a bit. "Brilliant really, not a single Auror is looking for three seventeen year-olds."

"Of course it hurt a bit in the beginning, but really it was worth it…I mean look at me…I'm…me again!" Hermione twirled in her newly transfigured robes. "I honestly didn't think it would work. I don't know what came over me…"

"We know, Hermione." Harry grinned at his elated friend. "Well then, I guess it's our turn, if you think you can watch over both of us at the same time."

Ron made himself comfortable on the only bed. "Well I guess you'll have to take the couch mate." He tore his shirt off of his eleven year old body and retreated under the ragged quilt, before undressing completely. "Don't want to ruin some perfectly good clothes."

Hermione's eyes bulged unnaturally. "Ronald! What if I have to take care of you? Put some clothes on!"

"Don't really see the point. I'll just burst out of them."

Harry hid his grin as he climbed onto the couch and transfigured his robes into a baggy sweat suit, big enough to fit Dudley in the future. "Bottoms up!" In one swift motion the young boy downed the potion, his thoughts only on being that much closer to destroying Voldemort.

"It's not that simple." Hermione looked over the parchment again. "He obviously knows we came back because of him. He isn't stupid." She sighed. "He may have even begun moving the Horcruxes."

The seventeen year-old ran his hands through his messy hair. "No, he hasn't. He is too arrogant to believe that we even know of the Horcruxes. He'll think it's because he was successful in getting the Philosopher's Stone. Besides, we're just first years on the run."

"Maybe, but he may take some precautions just the same," she pointed out.

"I don't understand. I thought You-Know-Who…" Ron blanched at the scornful expressions on his best friends' faces. "…I mean V-Voldemort didn't have any real power until fourth year. He can't accomplish much right now, he doesn't even have and Death Eaters to boss around, yet."

Hermione growled in frustration. "That's true, Ronald, but he could approach one at any point and rectify that. Even if he possesses another, doesn't mean they won't follow him."

"He hasn't, Hermione, not yet. He is a bit busy trying to get the stone." Harry stuffed the rest of his transfigured robes into his trunk, which was heavy despite the charms he had on it. "Right now we need to get some new robes and some Muggle clothes, as well as a place to stay. We have to get out of here before Lupin returns and start planning our next step." Harry rolled up a parchment he had written for Remus to thank him, and left a few hundred Galleons on the table.

"Fine, but I think we should wear a glamour for now and look into getting some Muggle hair dye," Hermione stated.

"Why? Know one knows we are seventeen, except Dumbledore?" Ron pointed out.

"I agree with Hermione. Three new faces in a small area such as Diagon Alley could draw suspicion to us. Plus there is the matter of my scar and your obviously Weasley hair."

"Weasley hair? What is wrong with Weasley hair?" Ron snarled angrily.

Hermione shook her head in frustration. "Nothing, Ron, he's just saying that it is obvious that you are a Weasley."

"Oh." Ron fell into the chair. "So, where are we going? Are we flying there?"

Harry pursed his lips for a moment. "Well until Hermione finds a way around it we can't Apparate, so we will have to fly." Harry paused as he saw his best friend tense up at the thought of flying. "For now, Hermione, you can ride with me, until we can work with you on a broom a bit more." She visibly relaxed and he continued, "I thought about going to Godric's Hollow, but felt it was too obvious. Number twelve Grimmauld Place is of course Sirius's, so I think it is best to find a house near London with a few acres, if possible, and use a Secret-Keeper, so we can have a bit more freedom."

"I think that is a brilliant idea, Harry, our own headquarters for Dumbledore's Army!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Not Dumbledore's Army. It can't be without Luna, Neville, or…Ginny. Just doesn't feel right."

"I know what you mean, mate. I mean I worry about my sister when she is here, but it feels weird not having her with us you know?" Ron agreed.

Harry shook the memories and feelings of Ginny Weasley off as best he could for now, knowing he had lost her forever. She of course was barely ten in this time and he was seventeen, and the very thought would cause a painful feeling in his chest that had threatened to overwhelm him since Hermione successfully used the potion. "Well for now let's just find a Muggle hotel in London, and we will look for houses in the morning." Waving his wand and muttering a bit he placed a strong glamour on himself, although his hair remained jet black, having a will of its own, but his scar looked a bit more like a straight line.

Ron and Hermione repeated the process on themselves, Hermione turning her hair as dark as Harry's deciding to try and pass as siblings. Ron, who had realized what Hermione was doing, and wanting to avoid looking like her brother altogether, chose to change his hair to the other end of the spectrum making it look white-blonde. Harry teased him unmercifully about the Malfoy look causing him to blush as red as is natural hair. Still, he refused to change it.

Eventually the trio kicked off the ground and into the night. Ron wore the Invisibilty Cloak and followed Harry and Hermione who were Disillusioned. The full moon lit up the sky, so he was able to follow the outline easy enough as long as Harry didn't make and sudden moves or tried any tricks, which wasn't likely with Hermione's vice like grip on his shoulders. The trip took longer than expected and the group where weary and cold when they finally landed in an alley way off of a small seedy Muggle motel. A few Shrinking Charms later, they prepared to settle in for the night.

"I'm not so sure about this, Harry," Hermione Granger stammered as she tried to keep her balance on the Nimbus 2000 broom below her. "Why can't I just ride with you?"

Harry Potter suppressed his laughter. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but it just isn't practical. What if we are in a fire fight? Your weight would hinder any maneuverability and speed." He wrapped his hands along the back of the broom and held it steady as he climbed up behind her on the broom. He had a fleeting thought of how it should be Ron saddled up behind her, but ignored it. It just felt right for him to cradle her like this. Positioning his hands over hers he pushed off the ground. "The problem with you, besides your obvious fear of heights, is you don't allow the broom to be an extension of yourself. It wants to move with you, and you act as if it is fighting you." Harry caught the smell of Hermione's shampoo and turned his head toward the ground. _Stop being a prat, Harry, you're just enjoying this because you miss Ginny; it has nothing to do with Hermione. Stop thinking lustful thoughts…concentrate on…Quidditch or something. _

Hermione leaned forward and readjusted her position on the broom. She felt safe with Harry behind her and she was a Gryffindor, after all. _I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._ She pushed the handle down and the Nimbus lurched forward, causing her grip to tighten unnaturally. _I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this._

Harry pulled the broom up and repositioned her hands. "Loosen your grip and relax your fingers. The broom is going to lurch if you manhandle it."

"I did have my grip loose, Harry, but the bloody broom moved and I had to hold on!" the bushy-haired witch snapped.

Grinning behind her, Harry wrapped his arms around her and shot the broom high into the air. "Hermione, I know you can fly. You're letting fear rule you, but I know you and when it comes down to it you do what needs to be done." He hugged her tightly as he pulled the handle up and stopped. "Maybe you need some incentive to fly, since between Ron and me the last week, you haven't progressed…seriously, you're as lousy with a broom as a first year."

"I know that, put me on the ground!" Hermione said through clenched teeth and tightly shut eyes as she made a promise to herself to hex him as soon as she could.

"Ron has given up trying, and I'm almost there myself." Harry sighed. It had been a week since he had purchased the three bedrooms, one story house on a small plot of land near Surrey. Immediately they had set up all the wards necessary to keep Muggles away, as well as unwanted wizards. They had transfigured a few pieces of papers into all the necessary Muggle documents and Harry had purchased the house under an assumed name. Hermione had put up the Fidelius Charm and the trio had decided that she would also be the Secret-Keeper. "We need to start going after the Horcrux and flying is our best mode of transportation, unless you figured a way around the Apparition laws."

Hermione worked her jaw and hissed, "You know I haven't. Now put me down!"

"Well, I have been rather patient, Hermione, and I hate to do this to you, but…" He suddenly slid off the back of the broom into a freefall, his arms flailing.

Hermione, who immediately recognized the change in weight and whipped her head around to see Harry plummeting toward the ground. Without conscious thought she turned the broom down and shot out after him, pushing the speed of the broom. Before she could blink she had positioned the broom near enough for him to latch on to and flip his body behind her again. Her heart pounded in her chest as she easily lowered both of them to the ground and hopped off. "I'm going to hex you, Harry Potter!" She drew her wand and started to flick it at her best friend.

"Wait…Hermione...wait…" He stumbled backwards.

"You could have died what if I hadn't rescued you? How could you do that to me?" She lunged toward him.

Easily dodging her and placing his hands up defensively. "But…it worked, Hermione…you did safe me, and you flew...you flew brilliantly!"

The witch stopped and cocked her head to the side. "I did fly. I flew by myself and high too! Did you see how fast I was going?" she asked excitedly.

"As fast as any Seeker." Harry grinned cheekily. "Ron said it wouldn't work and I would plummet to my death but it did work. I knew you wouldn't let me fall."

"Wait…what?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You and Ron planned this?"

Harry stared at her in fear. "No, not really, he just said something along the lines that when he was flying with you the broom bucked so bad that he could have been thrown off, and no one could catch him. It gave me an idea. I really believed you can fly, you just let fear rule you when flying, so I thought the adrenaline would override the fear."

"He thought I'd let him die!"

"He was kidd…" Harry didn't get a chance to finish the sentence because she had hexed him, and he was currently fighting off bat bogeys.

Ron Weasley was putting together the evening meal. He wasn't exactly a cook like his mum, but he could throw a fairly nice stew together. Not that he would make a habit of cooking for the house, it just happened to be his night. Hermione had been quick to set out all the rules and regulations and had a piece of parchment with chores up on the ice box before they had a night's rest in their new headquarters. He really didn't mind the structure and bossiness of the young woman in fact it brought a sense of comfort something reliable from his old life. Hermione would never change.

There was one issue Ron would like to address with the witch, and that was her admission that she wanted to touch him. A conversation that had not been addressed despite all the hints Ron had thrown at her. She seemed to be oblivious to his conflict and acted the same with him as with Harry. It was confusing for him, but he intended on cornering her tonight. After all, he admitted his thoughts of marrying her; she must know he loves her…doesn't she?

"Weasley, just the prat I was looking for!" Hermione aimed her wand at the red head's chest. "Think I'd let you die do you?" she swore.

Ron backed away with his hands up protectively. _Merlin what did I do now?_ "What are you going on about?"

Hermione closed the distance between him until they stood inches apart, the tall teen against the wall with a fearful expression on his face and wand sticking into the bottom of his jaw. "I should just hex you…acting liked I'd let you die, like I'd hurt you…" Her voice quivered.

"Hermione…I don't know what you're on about, but are you going to hurt me now?" he asked pleadingly.

She blinked a few time before dropping her arms clumsily to the side and falling into a chair. "I'm so sorry, Ron, I don't know what came over me..." Her lips trembled. "I can't seem to control my anger…I just…I don't know why I am so quick to hex…I'm acting like Ginny…"

Ron gathered her into his arms as she began to weep. He didn't know what to say really; maybe it has had a bigger effect on her than he knew.

"I just miss them," Hermione sobbed.

"Who?"

She sat back and rubbed at her eyes. "Mum and Dad. I probably will never see them again, this Wizarding world is still so new for them here…they send their eleven year-old daughter off to some school they can't physically see and she never comes back."

"You'll see them again, Hermione, when this is all over…"

"Don't be daft, Ronald! My family isn't like yours; they won't understand why I'm already an adult, they may not even believe I am who I say." Her eyes pooled again. "I might as well be dead to them, Ron, I have no one."

Ron pulled her into him again. "That's not true Hermione you have me. I love you, and you'll never be alone not as long as I have breath in my body." Ron never believed he could have uttered those words so easily a month ago, but he knew it was true. He'd give her the world if he could.

Hermione looked up into his fiery blue eyes. "I love you too."

Their lips met in a passionate and searing kiss, unlike any snogging Ron had with Lavender. All of their emotion and fears went into their kissing neither trying to dominate the other.

"I see you survived her hexing." Harry interrupted, causing the two to break apart and blush. "Nice to see I'm the third wheel, now," he stated bitterly.

Harry had watched the entire scene, and had almost made his presence known when Hermione stated she had no one, but something stilled him. After Ron's confession, a heavy piece of lead settled in his throat and plummeted at Hermione's response. It now resided painfully near his heart. He should be elated that his two best friends were finally getting together. After all, it was what he and Ginny had talked about. The four of them together like this, but now there was no Ginny. Had he loved her? It had been he, Harry, who had cast her aside at Dumbledore's funeral. He had left her out of all their plans and willingly left her behind. All hopes of ever being together again was ruined when he took Hermione's potion and was seventeen again.

Still what bugged him was how easily his affections for Hermione had become something more than friendly. Was he an opportunist? Did he just fancy her because she was the only girl around? What right did he have to take her from his best mate, would she even want him? It was just a few of the questions that plagued him the last week.

"Harry, it's not like that." Hermione looked at him with concern. "You're not a third wheel, nothing's changed."

Ron looked aghast at this.

"Well, I don't recall seeing you two snog before," he sneered. Harry knew he was being unreasonable and a bit of a prat but the words kept coming out. His world seemed to be crashing around him. "Unless you have been snogging behind my back?"

"No, it's the first time, and we weren't sneaking. It just happened." She had not been prepared for this conversation. She expected it may happen one day, but had always assumed that with Ginny it wouldn't matter.

Ron finally got his voice back. "What's your problem, mate? I didn't go this mental on you with Ginny?" Harry had known how much he had liked Hermione. Why was he acting so mental?

Harry sobered a bit at this. "Nothing, just forget it…surprised me is all." He wished he had not showed himself, he should have just sulked off.


End file.
